Life After McKinley
by MaryRoyale
Summary: This is a sequel to Puckleberry Finn. What's happened to our OT3 ten years after graduation? Major SMUT warning, but  as always  I am also stressing the relationship dynamic/aspects of a triad.
1. Prologue

_A/N: This is a sequel to Puckleberry Finn. I don't suppose you would have to read that to follow along here. However, you will need to understand the basic premise. The concept I explored was Puckleberry Finn as a real relationship—a triad or a triple or whatever you want to call it. If you understand polyamorous jargon they were a polyfidelitous "V" relationship with Rachel at the apex. This story deals with all three of them leaving WMHS behind and going out into the "real world". If there are those of you who are unhappy with what happens to Puck, Finn and Rachel please understand that I tried to approach this logically. Rachel is an excellent student, with numerous curricular activities—it should be easy for her to get into college. Puck and Finn on the other hand are usually portrayed as lackluster students and Ms. Pillsbury-Howell was right—football scholarships are extremely difficult to come by. Also, I don't know if you've noticed, but WMHS' football team isn't that great. (If you're unfamiliar with American football…when Finn mentioned he had been sacked the most out of any QB in their conference—not a good thing.) There would have to be some sort of Hand of God miracle for them to be accepted to college straight out of high school._

_Oh yeah, and I love lemon. It's like…my favorite flavor. Oh, wait. I think I've just been inspired to write. I do appreciate feedback, so feel free to tell me what a bad, dirty person I am. I'll thank you for it._

Most of Rachel's senior year was spent sending out scholarship applications, college applications, and praying. Lots and lots of praying. The top ten musical conservatories in the nation generally had freshman classes of less than 150 people. Julliard's students came from 42 different countries. Sometimes, Rachel felt like she was competing against the rest of the world for those few, precious spots. She knew Kurt was doing the exact same thing—well, not the praying. She had shamelessly sucked up to Mr. Schue and her ballet instructor for letters of recommendation. Every deadline was carefully plotted out on a chart that she kept on the wall in her room. This was the rest of her life, and she was not going to screw it up.

Puck and Finn spent most of senior year being bemused and then sometimes slightly scared of their tiny girlfriend. When she demanded to see their transcripts they should have known it might not end well. Rachel hit the roof.

"Oh my god! What have you two been _doing_ all this time?" Rachel ranted and raved at them for hours. She made them attend a visitation at OSU and talk to a general advisor about their options. It had been a sad and sobering discussion for both boys. Basically, they would both need to attend a community college, raise their GPAs to something respectable (or at least not embarrassing) and try to apply at that time. Neither boy really wanted to spend the rest of their lives in Lima, Ohio so they dutifully filled out all the paperwork that Rachel put in front of them.

Somehow, despite their girlfriend having shifted into overdrive sometime after spring break, it hadn't really occurred to them what would inevitably happen after graduation. Needless to say, they were somewhat shocked when she sat them down for "the talk".

"So when we all go off to college, we won't be in a relationship anymore. You guys both understand that, right?" She appeared to be completely serious. Puck frowned at her.

"Why the hell not?" He growled.

"Well, because I'll either be in New York or Massachusetts and you two will be here in Ohio. I won't have time to be a good girlfriend. I won't have time to be crappy _friend_. I'm going to be working my ass off. You two had better be working your asses off, if you know what's good for you."

"But, Rach, we've figured out how to make this work," Finn protested. "We've all been together for _two years_. That's got to count for something."

Rachel smiled at him and touched his cheek with the tips of her fingers.

"Baby, I love you both, but we've got to be realistic. I want you two to do the college life thing. Experience the hell out of it. If we're meant to be, we'll all find each other again when the time is right. I'm probably going to date other guys. You two will at least sleep with, if not date, other girls. I know it will happen. It doesn't mean I won't still love you both. I'll try to stay in touch, but my freshman year will probably be something I can scare my future children with."

Puck and Finn argued with Rachel. Loudly. For several hours. It was probably the worst fight the three of them as a unit had ever had. They ended up not speaking to Rachel for about a week. The members of glee club kept making jokes about the coming apocalypse because usually it was the other way around. Rachel would pitch diva fits and occasionally get mad at the boys, but they had never seen the boys mad at Rachel. In the end, Rachel stood her ground. She knew she was right, and she knew that her boys had to deal with life after graduation. Neither of them liked it, but they were forced to admit that she was probably right. Maybe.

The three of them made the most of the rest of the school year and that last summer. It was bittersweet, but they made some pretty incredible memories too. Rachel didn't make it into Juilliard (Kurt did and she refused to speak to him for almost a month). However, Rachel did get accepted to the extremely prestigious Eastman Conservatory of Music in Rochester, New York so she really couldn't complain. (She complained anyway, but did we expect anything else?) The boys drove her up there and helped her move everything in. Her dads came to visit and tour the campus and her dorm.

This was it. The end. Rachel kept a brave face for Puck and Finn and her dads. She laughed and joked and waved until she couldn't see them anymore. Then she went to her room and cried for the rest of the night.

*glee*

"So she's still crying, but she told me not to tell you that," Kurt informed his brother by telephone. Finn couldn't help but feel a little bit better about that. He'd cried too. He knew Puck had as well, but they didn't talk about it. They'd both started community college and already it was completely different from life at McKinley.

"Okay. Is she doing okay otherwise? How are you doing?"

"I think she's okay. The schedule is grueling, just like mine. We'll both be lucky if we survive." Kurt wasn't joking. The classes were intense and extremely competitive. "Blaine is sort of pissed off at me. I just don't have time for him right now."

Finn thought maybe he was lucky because he had Kurt. It gave him insight into what Rachel's life and schedule were probably like. It also made him admit to himself that maybe she'd been right. It didn't really help him feel better, but maybe she had been right. This time was just so hectic, so crazy that maybe they were better off not worrying about boyfriends or girlfriends or any of that. Finn passed everything along to Puck who grunted and continued reading his US History textbook.

"Still miss her."

"I know, me too," Finn sighed.

*glee*

The boys were both amazed at how well they did when they actually focused on studying. Their parents were equally amazed. Carole didn't believe that it was really Finn's transcript at first. Puck's mom cried. She told him how proud she was of him, and Puck had to wipe away a couple tears as well. Rachel wasn't surprised at all. She sent them both the same text.

_I knew you could do it all along._

Puck received an epiphany part way through his first year at community college. One of his instructors was a history professor whose specialty was Jewish Studies. Puck hadn't realized that such a thing existed, but he had always sort of done it on his own in glee. Dr. Levin encouraged Puck and eventually became his mentor. He passed along information about scholarships and wrote letters of recommendation for Puck when he applied for them. Dr. Levin was one of those individuals who were truly passionate about teaching, which was why he had chosen to work at a community college. Puck had never met anyone like him before in his entire life, and he made Puck think about a lot of things he'd never fully considered. He thought seriously about his future and what he wanted out of it. He thought about what it would take to get him there.

Finn wasn't sure what he wanted to do yet, but he worked just as hard as Puck to keep his grades up and make Rachel proud of them both. He talked to advisors who suggested that he go ahead and take all the basic gen ed requirements and then worry about a major later. He continued to scrawl in his songwriting notebook, but he couldn't bring his drums to the dorm room. He had to learn how to play the guitar. Finn loved music, but he wasn't sure how he could make a living with it. He wasn't like Rachel, or Kurt.

In general, Puck and Finn both did well their first year at community college. Puck ended up with a 3.85 GPA and Finn was close behind with 3.80. Rachel sent them congratulatory emails. She and Kurt survived their freshman year at their respective schools. That's all they both really said whenever friends asked. They survived.

*glee*

It was perhaps inevitable that the alumni of WMHS' glee club were forced to keep in touch through facebook and other social media. Sam and Quinn had both been accepted to OSU. Lauren had chosen the pro-wrestling organization that appealed most to her. They were working on making her the next big thing in the world of wrestling. They'd released a signature fragrance called Zizes and they used her famous tagline "you've just been ziced!" Santana went on a road trip and never quite made it back to Lima, Ohio. Everyone was sort of shocked when Finn went with her. He'd tried community college, but he still felt like he wasn't doing what he needed to do. They ended up in Los Angeles and they both found freedom just being themselves. After a year of freedom, Santana decided education might be good for her too, and she enrolled in UCLA. Finn had joined a band, but he enrolled at UCLA with Santana and took classes.

Brittany followed Santana to California where she quickly became the favorite of UCLA's psychology department. They made a special dispensation for her to take classes so that the psych department could gather data. Mike made it onto ABDC on MTV with some people from his college's dance team. Tina was accepted to an art school. Artie and Mercedes had been accepted to Oberlin's music program. It was impossible to keep track of everyone except through something like facebook.

Everyone's updates were random and haphazard. There was a graduate student at UCLA who was writing his dissertation based on Brittany's status updates and tweets. Regardless, they were able to keep some kind of connection to one another, and it made them all feel better.

**Noah Puckerman** is in a relationship with **Miri Stevenson**.

Rachel cried. She couldn't help it—it was completely stupid, but she did anyway. Kurt promised not to tell Finn because she knew that what Finn knew, Puck knew. They were still best friends and they kept in touch. Puck called her.

"You told us to do this, you know." His voice was gentle, sad.

"I hate Kurt."

"Nope. You love him. You can't help it. Love's like that." She knew he wasn't talking about Kurt anymore.

"I know."

"Doesn't make you a bad person."

"I know."

"Good." She sighed into the phone. "Rach, honey, I have to go. I miss you."

"Miss you, too."

"Finn said to say hi."

"Okay."

She slept with Eeyore that night.

*glee*

**Noah Puckerman** would like to make a formal record. My girlfriend is threatening to break up with me because I am not "jealous enough". Is Rachel or Finn on here? Can you people believe that shit?

**Finn Hudson** seriously? You're not jealous enough? What are you supposed to do? Punch random people in the face?

**Santana Lopez** O.o Puck, have you changed drastically in the last couple years? I remember you getting in trouble for that ALL THE TIME. It was like you couldn't help yourself.

**Noah Puckerman** Santana, you know that's not fair. I'm sure I have matured, but I don't understand what's going on here. Can't you guys help?

**Miri Stevenson** Noah, you always end up finding me talking with guys and you're never even concerned! It's like you don't care who I hang out with.

**Noah Puckerman** Okay, first of all, is this about yesterday? Kyle broke his leg and wanted your OChem notes. You want me to punch the dude for trying to not fail OChem?

**Miri Stevenson** That is completely beside the point. Boys are constantly chatting me up and you don't seem to care.

**Noah Puckerman** I'm sorry? I promise to start beating up random people tomorrow.

**Miri Stevenson** That's not funny. What about that boy from my Calculus class? He wanted to arrange a study date. In my room. He swears it's because his roommate is annoying.

**Noah Puckerman **:sigh: Babe, Blaine was not hitting on you. He's gay.

**Miri Stevenson** That's ridiculous. How would you know that?

**Finn Hudson** He's been my brother's boyfriend on and off for over three years now.

**Miri Stevenson** Oh.

**Blaine Anderson** It's true. Sorry, Miri, but Kurt's the only one who makes my…um…heart go pitter-pat.

**Finn Hudson** Dude, I'm eating. Please do not talk about my brother and sex right now.

**Blaine Anderson** :P You're just jealous.

**Finn Hudson** Whatever. How would you like it if I started making comments about your sister?

**Blaine Anderson **That's not funny.

**Finn Hudson** Exactly. Now knock it off.

*glee*

Puck applied and was accepted to Brandeis University. He had worked his ass off, gotten excellent grades, and been invited to several honor societies. He had been the President of Phi Theta Kappa his last year at his community college. His mother was so proud of him she could hardly stand it when he was named the student of the year for the Jewish Student Union. She'd cried all through the awards dinner.

Finn wasn't sure what he wanted to be when he grew up just yet. He was taking basic classes and doing fairly well. He was dating a fellow UCLA student named Claire, but his schedule didn't really fit anything too serious. During the strange, quiet moments he felt like something wasn't quite right, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Finn was still writing songs and he played with a band on weekends. They tried to make sure gigs didn't conflict with his school schedule. They were actually doing okay on the underground circuit in LA. Digital Meridian had received several positive reviews in local music rags.

Rachel was in her third year at Eastman. She was casually dating a fellow student named Logan. She'd tried seriously dating, but her schedule was often too hectic to accommodate anything serious. Her friends Naomi and Olivia (and Santana who threw in her opinion over facebook) insisted that Rachel designed her schedule so that she couldn't date anyone. It was hard to tell. All she knew was that it always felt wrong, as though there were pieces missing.

*glee*

Finn and Puck managed to attend Rachel's graduation with her dads and Kurt. She cried and hugged them both to her. Rachel decided it wasn't really anyone's business if she decided to visit the boys in their hotel room and ended up staying all night with them. None of them would admit how perfect and how right that night felt. Rachel went to Kurt in New York City, Finn returned to LA and Puck went back Massachusetts.

Rachel worked on Broadway and lived with Kurt in a tiny apartment barely big enough for them to turn around in. Kurt swore that it must have been a closet at one point. It was sweet revenge for Rachel that she landed a role before Kurt (He got Juilliard, but she got a role first). It had never occurred to anyone, least of all Rachel, that that role would lead to her next role—and a Tony.

Puck was trying to watch the Superbowl in his room. He had to threaten his roommate with bodily harm so the guy would shut up.

"It's just the national anthem. The game hasn't even started yet."

"Shut up! Dude, I swear I will punch you in the face if you don't shut up!"

It was Rachel. She looked so tiny as she walked up to the microphone. He thought she looked more beautiful than ever. She opened her mouth and it was like heaven. Finn called him.

"Puck, are you watching?"

"Yeah."

"She's amazing."

"Always has been." Finn couldn't argue there. That fall, she was in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, too.

_A/N: I apologize if this seemed choppy. I'm trying to show the passing of several years, and the growing maturity of all three of my main characters. People don't stay the same—the only constant is change. They've tried to stay in touch, but that is really difficult considering the types of schedules that all three of them would have. Now that time has passed, they are ready to make some major decisions about where they need to go next. Rachel's already receiving the accolades she always dreamed of._


	2. Rachel Berry, Broadway Star

_A/N: I know I drive some people crazy because I don't worry too much about background information. However, you definitely need a little background info for this. It's been ten years since our OT3 graduated from WMHS. Rachel is a tony-award winning performer. She lives in New York City in a tiny one-bedroom apartment because real estate in NYC is crazy, ridiculous. Seriously, they make Seattle look cheap. Finn and Puck are her friends, but their friendship has been facilitated by various forms of social media (god only knows what we'll have in ten years time…) and as a result they aren't as close as any of them might like. The boys do not live in New York and they aren't in this first chapter. _

Rachel looked out her apartment's window to the street below. She watched the people hurrying back and forth on their various individual missions. Were any of those people happy? Her latest play had exploded in popularity shocking everyone. It had been a little experimental—it pushed boundaries both artistically and socially. That was why everyone had been so shocked when it took off the way it had. They were making a film and she'd been confirmed to play her role on the big screen. She had to leave for LA next week. Rachel Berry had made it—she had achieved all her goals and dreams. She'd taken Broadway by storm, won a tony award, been in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade for the last five years running, sung the national anthem on national tv, she'd been on all the talk shows. There was serious talk that the play she'd just been in, the one they were turning into a movie, would garner her tony number two. And yet…she was sitting here at the window staring out at the street and wondering if any of the people out there were happy. Her phone rang and it was a welcome distraction.

"Hello?"

"Rachel, darling, have you heard anything yet?" It was one of her friends from college, Naomi Halverson.

"I leave Monday morning for LA. I'll be gone all week and I'll come home Friday. If you want to meet me at Bernard's I can give you the keys." Naomi had promised to keep an eye on her cat, Elphaba, while she was gone. It was only a week and she didn't want to have to find a cat kennel for that short period of time.

"Sure. We can knock back a couple drinks and I'll watch you turn down guys." Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Fine. This Saturday night at 10 p.m.?"

"Don't we need reservations or something?"

"I don't."

"Sometimes, I hate you." Rachel laughed at Naomi. It was true, though. The Maître d' at Bernard's was completely infatuated with Rachel Berry, Broadway Star. She always got in.

Where did Naomi get off? She was _not_ that bad. She was just extremely busy and her schedule didn't really allow for things like boyfriends. Lovers…sometimes. Rachel was usually careful, cautious. One night stands weren't generally her thing—they just made her feel dirty and used. She'd had a couple boyfriends. She'd actually dated a football player around the same time that she'd sung at the Superbowl. He was sweet, but they'd both had schedules that made dating ridiculous. She sighed. That only brought her back to her earlier question. Where any of the people out there happy?

*glee*

Bernard's was a cozy little restaurant that also served drinks. It was generally considered a good place to start out the night. Rachel and Naomi had enjoyed a fabulous dinner and when Naomi suggested they go out, she agreed. The nightclub was loud and they both danced and drank a little more than normal. Rachel really wished that Naomi would stop smirking at her when she told guy after guy no. Finally, Naomi slid her arm around Rachel's waist and started whispering in her ear.

"So, if we make out, they might realize there's no point in asking."

"You just want to stick your tongue down my throat," Rachel noted.

"Well, there is that benefit, as well."

"Yes, Naomi, but after that I'll get the girls hitting on me instead." Naomi pouted at her.

"I could tell them I'm your girlfriend," she murmured at Rachel.

"Sweetie, just because I got drunk that one time at Eastman does not mean I'm a headliner at the Kitty Cat Club." Naomi pouted some more. That one time had been incredible for her and she'd always been a little bit in love with Rachel ever since. Even though the girl had practically been a nun the entire time Naomi had known her—she was one of the most skilled lovers Naomi had ever had. Rachel was amazing in bed and she had the stamina of the damn Energizer Bunny. She knew Rachel didn't return her feelings. She wasn't sure if Rachel ever had those feelings. It was kind of sad, really.

They ended up running into some friends of Rachel's from her last play. There was a really cute girl who kept eyeing Naomi and she soon forgot about everything else. Rachel might have gone home by herself, but Marcus was there that night so she went to his place instead. Marcus for his part was surprised. He had spent the entire run of the play trying to get into Rachel's pants and she turned him down flat every time. Rachel couldn't have told you why she went home with Marcus that night because she wasn't sure herself. She just wanted to feel good for a little while.

The next morning Rachel got up before Marcus was even awake and slipped out of his apartment. She went home and cried in the shower. There was a reason she never really did one night stands. She hated how she felt afterword. For her, sex had always been something special—a way to express love without words. Rachel got dressed, and started packing. She noticed she had several messages from Kurt. She smiled to herself and called him.

"What's going on Kurt?"

"Did you know this year is our ten year reunion? Did you see the facebook invite from Quinn? I guess she's heading up the committee. Are you going? I'll go if you go," Kurt was speaking rapidly into the phone.

"Whoa! Sweetie, pause for air! Our ten year reunion? I'm not sure. I'll know after this meeting. If we're filming I might not be able to make it."

"Oh, wow. I didn't even think about that. Well, will you call me when you get back? Oh wait! Are you going to see Finn while you're there? I didn't tell him you were coming out there. I swear on a stack of Vogues."

"Kurt, honey, are you high or something?"

"No! No, Rachel, I'm just really nervous right now. I'm waiting to hear back—to see if I got a role."

"Really? Which one?"

"Can't tell you. If I do, I'll jinx it. I'll call you in a couple days to tell you if I got the part or not."

"Okay. I love you, Kurt Hummel. Just remember, if they don't give you that role, they are complete idiots."

"Love you, too, Rachel. Have a safe flight."

"Wait! Kurt, are you happy?" Kurt paused for a minute. What a weird question. He thought about his life. He had a tiny one-bedroom apartment very similar to Rachel's. He was in a long-term committed relationship with a dancer named Nikolas whom he loved very much. He had a fairly decent career on Broadway. Nothing quite as amazing as Rachel, but he was holding out hope that there was a Tony somewhere with his name on it.

"Yeah, Rachel. I'm happy."

*glee*

If there was one thing Rachel could cheerfully do without it was waiting at airports. She hated airport security, she hated hauling ass down 20 gates to catch transfers, and she hated layovers. She was on the phone with Naomi while she was standing at LAX trying to figure out where to go to get her bags.

"Who are the totally gorgeous boys in all these photos?"

"Naomi, are you in my bedroom?"

"Well, sweetie, Elphaba is stuck under your bed, so yeah." Rachel gave an irritated sigh.

"The one with a Mohawk is Noah and the other one is Finn."

"Girl, where have you been hiding _them_?"

"I haven't been hiding anyone! They were guys I went to high school with. Now, Naomi, get out of my bedroom!"

"But what about Elphaba?"

"Make sure she's got fresh food and water. Don't shut my bedroom door and she'll be fine. She's a cat, they take care of themselves. That's _why_ I got a cat."

"Fine. Miss snooty-pants. I think you're just mad I found out about your boys. I'd keep them to myself, too." Rachel closed her eyes in the middle of the airport. _Her boys_. No one had called them that in ten years.

"Whatever, Naomi, I have to go. I am totally going to miss my meeting." That was a lie. Her meeting wasn't until tomorrow. Rachel Berry was far too organized to make a stupid mistake like that. She hung up and wound her way around people to the baggage claim. She found her suitcases, and worked her way out to find her shuttle to the hotel.

Rachel felt much better once she'd showered, put her clothes away and gotten slightly drunk in the hotel bar. She talked to the bartender about the best choices for vegan delivery and went back to her room. She ate some sort of vegan noodle thing and passed out in her bed by 9 p.m. (it felt like midnight to her and she'd been up at 5 a.m.). The next morning she was up early, worked out in the hotel exercise room, took another shower, got dressed and met the limo for her meeting. She'd already had her agent and her lawyer look over everything. This meeting was mostly to hammer out details for the filming schedule and for her to meet some people at the studio. It was important, but it wasn't life or death.

The meeting had gone quite well, and Rachel was really pleased. The filming should be completely wrapped up by the time her high school reunion rolled around so she might even go. She probably should go. I mean, what did she have to lose? She would have the chance to see if any of the people she'd gone to school with had done what they set out to do. She wondered whatever happened to Quinn. That reminded her. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through all her contacts. Finally she found the number she wanted.

"Speak."

"Lauren?"

"Who is this?"

"It's Rachel. Rachel Berry?" Lauren and Rachel had kept in touch over the years. Rachel had always liked Lauren's attitude and it had served her well in the pro-wrestling circuit. Rachel had a tiny bottle of Zizes perfume somewhere in the back of her closet. It wasn't quite her style, but she'd wanted to support an old friend and that had been the only size she could afford at the time.

"Hey, Rachel! Are you calling about the reunion? I'm not sure if I'll go. I mean, is it really even worth our time?"

"Uh, no. I wasn't calling about the reunion. I might go. Kurt keeps bugging me about it. I was actually calling to ask you if you're happy."

"What?"

"Are you happy, Lauren? I mean, you've got everything you wanted, right?" Lauren thought about that. She did have everything she'd ever dreamed about. They were talking about doing a reality TV show about her. She had a line of perfume. She was a star. They paid her to wrestle. That was just extra cream. She'd had a couple boyfriends. She'd dated a couple of the wrestlers. She was in between boyfriends at the moment.

"I guess so. I mean, I do have everything. Yeah, I guess I'm happy. Why?"

"I just wondered. You and I, we're pretty similar in that we both went after our dreams and we achieved them. I just wondered if it was everything you had hoped it would be."

"Well, shit, Rachel. Nothing is ever like you dream. Sometimes, it's better. Sometimes, it's worse. Usually though, it's never like you dreamed it because you never understood everything that actually was a part of it. You know?" 

"Yeah." Rachel knew exactly what she meant. As a kid, dreaming about Broadway, she never thought about what it would take to make it happen. Eastman really helped her, but it had been brutally hard. It had tested and tempered her in ways she could never have imagined. Some of her fellow students made her tiny little boo-boo with Sunshine Corazon seem like the work of Mother Teresa. Then, living in that closet with Kurt, eating practically nothing because it was all they could afford. When people talked about pounding the pavement—they were serious. Her feet had ached every single night after searching for jobs all day. She and Kurt had slept in the same bed together to stay warm because their heat never worked. God, they'd been so poor, but they just knew if they kept at it—it would all pay off.

"Listen, Rachel, if you do go to the reunion, let me know? I might go with you."

"Okay, Lauren. Hey, wait! Where are you at right now?" This was a completely valid question, Lauren toured a lot.

"In LA, I'm in the middle of talks for a reality TV show. Can you believe that shit?"

"Seriously? You're in LA? Right now?" Rachel could feel herself getting excited. She hadn't seen anyone from high school in a couple years. She didn't count Kurt. He was practically family.

"Yeah? Why?" Lauren sounded confused. She probably assumed that Rachel was in New York because that's where she always was when Lauren had called in the past.

"I'm in LA! They're making a film out of _Artistic Explosion_."

"Out of what?"

"My last play. They're making it into a movie and I'm reprising my role."

"No shit! So you're in LA right now?"

"Yes!"

"We should totally go out tonight. I'll take you to a couple of my favorite clubs. You will love it."

"That sounds like fun." Rachel told Lauren what hotel she was staying at and they made arrangements to meet later. When she got off the phone, Rachel realized she hadn't brought anything for clubbing. It hadn't occurred to her to do so. She went back to her hotel and asked the concierge to direct her to some place with edgy clothing. She ended up in West Hollywood on the phone with Kurt who was trying to give her directions to a store he remembered from his last visit to Finn. She finally found the place. She walked up to the counter and looked at the drag queen behind the counter.

"Is Marnie working?" The drag queen cocked his pink-wigged head at Rachel and gave her the once over. He frowned slightly.

"Oh my God! You're Rachel Berry!" Rachel blushed. Usually, the farther she got from Broadway, the fewer people knew who she was. No one in LA had recognized her yet, for which she had been eternally grateful. She couldn't believe how she'd once thought that fame was the cure for everything.

"Yes, but is Marnie working?"

"I'm Marnie!" He looked slightly confused and she couldn't blame him. Here was somebody he recognized as a star, but had never met in his life, and she was asking for him.

"Okay, well Kurt sent me. I need edgy clothes for clubbing tonight." Marnie's eyes got big.

"Kurt? Kurt Hummel? He said he knew you, but I never believed him. I thought it was a line." Rachel snorted at that. Kurt would never use _her_ as a pick up line.

"Kurt is as close to me as family," Rachel said firmly. "He and I used to live together before my big break."

"Really? He never mentioned that part. Wow, I feel like such a dork. I am so going to call him and apologize."

"Marnie, apologize later. Dress Rachel now." Her tone was firm and brooked no nonsense. Marnie saluted and dragged her into the bowels of the store.

She left a couple hours later with outfits she would never, ever have worn in high school and two pairs of tranny heels, and boots that made her look like sex on a plate. She took another taxi back to her hotel. She went to her room and took a nap. The time difference was still throwing her off. She woke up refreshed, ordered some take out and started getting ready.

When she was done she looked at herself in the full length mirror. Not bad. Not bad at all. She'd flat ironed her hair so that if fell straight passed her shoulders. Her fringe bangs just brushed her forehead. She ended up wearing silver tranny heels because she felt they would help her hold her own with Zizes. She was wearing a long sleeved tiny black dress. It plunged in the front and in the back, and where there happened to be fabric it clung to every curve. Her makeup was smoky, sultry. She grinned at herself in the mirror. She was so smoking hot people should carry fire extinguishers. She found a necklace that almost enhanced the fact that her neckline plunged almost to her belly button, and put it on.

She walked down to the lobby holding her little clutch bag. She gave a little wave to the concierge who looked like he was going to stroke. She smiled to herself. Perfect. She'd gotten the look she was going for then. She walked up to Lauren who hadn't recognized her at first.

"Jesus, Berry! I might have to pretend to be your girlfriend or we're going to have some major fights on our hands." Rachel shrugged and grinned at Lauren who'd gotten all dressed up too.

"Who know? Maybe we'll have to beat them off _you_ with a big stick." Lauren threw back her head and laughed.

"I knew I liked you, Rachel. C'mon, my car's waiting."

_A/N:_ _This is our introduction to Puckleberry Finn: Ten Years Later. As you can see, Rachel's questioning a lot of the things she's worked so hard for, which I think is valid at this time in her life. Anytime a person gets everything they've always wanted…he or she has to consider if it was what they thought it would be. Rachel's incredibly driven, focused and dedicated. Those are all qualities I think are highly admirable, but I wonder if she might take them to the extreme. Then again, maybe the reason none of her post-high school relationships worked out was because each boyfriend was competing with Rachel's memories of her high school sweethearts._


	3. LA

Lauren's car was being driven by an employee of the wresting company. She explained that it was considered a smart business move. The driver was also a sort of bodyguard. He made sure Lauren was safe and had secure transportation. She introduced him to Rachel. He was nice and polite, but he couldn't help the look in his eye. Rachel smiled sweetly at him and crossed her legs in the back seat. She watched him swallow and smiled a little wider. Lauren rolled her eyes at her.

"We are so getting arrested tonight."

"I hope not! I'm supposed to meet Santana tomorrow for a late lunch."

"Santana? Wow, I haven't thought about her in forever. What's she up to?"

"She followed in her dad's footsteps and became a doctor. She lives with Brittany here in LA. I haven't seen her in four or five years. She came out to see me when there was some kind of symposium on the East Coast."

"Wow," Lauren murmured. Rachel grinned. It was so hard to imagine. It seemed almost surreal, but it was all true.

"So what's the name of this club we're going to?"

"It's called Echelon. It's usually got a live band, but they're always good. It's kind of gritty and edgy, kind of right up my alley. You usually never see famous people here, which is why I totally love it. I hate the clubs that cater to celebrities. They suck." Rachel nodded. She didn't think anyone would consider her a celebrity way out here, but she'd rather be incognito for tonight. It was okay when she was in her own city—she knew everybody anyway. It would feel weird here where everyone was a total stranger.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Finn was sitting at the end of the bar when she walked in. He was actually turned away from the door talking to the guitarist from their band when the guitarist's eyes widened and he practically drooled on Finn's foot. Finn groaned. It was probably some hot piece of ass he would hit on for the rest of the night and then drag her out to the band's van. He wondered if he could get somebody to come get him from Echelon at 3 a.m. Probably not. _Shit_.

"Sweet Jesus, I think I've just seen the mother of all my children." That was a new line so Finn turned and stared at the woman who'd just entered the bar. Then he closed his eyes. _God, have I been a really bad person or something? Whatever it was, I am so so sorry._ Then he opened his eyes. It was still Rachel. What the hell was she even wearing? He wanted to take her somewhere and fuck her until she couldn't see straight and walked funny. Right after he killed everyone in here for thinking the exact same thing. Where the hell was Puck when a guy needed him? Oh, right, somewhere on the East Coast. He turned back to the guitarist.

"I have a favor to ask."

The band was getting ready and Lauren and Rachel had drinks in hand. Lauren was completely impressed with Rachel's turn down technique. It was so polished, she knew Rachel was a pro at telling people no. The lead singer picked up the mic and started talking, so everyone got quiet.

"Hey everybody, I know that we usually do our own original stuff, but our drummer got some kind of bug up his ass and so he's going to sing a song before our regular set begins. He's actually really good—most of you know he writes all of our songs, he just refuses to actually sing them for us. Anyway, here we go."

Rachel was listening with half and ear and sipping at her drink. Then the drummer started singing and she turned and stared at him. Then she started blushing. She blushed all the way down her chest. She knew he was singing about her. She was going to kill him.

_I judge by what she's wearing  
Just how many heads I'm tearing  
Off of assholes coming on to her  
Each night seems like it's getting worse_

And I wish she'd take the night off  
So I don't have to fight off  
Every asshole coming on to her  
It happens every night she works

They'll go and ask the DJ  
Find out just what would she say  
If they all tried coming on to her  
Don't they know it's never going to work

They think they'll get inside her  
With every drink they buy her  
As they all try coming on to her  
This time somebody's getting hurt  
Here comes the next contestant

Is that your hand on my girlfriend?  
Is that your hand?  
I wish you'd do it again  
I'll watch you leave here limping  
I wish you'd do it again  
I'll watch you leave here limping  
There goes the next contestant

I even fear the ladies  
They're cool but twice as crazy  
Just as bad for coming on to her  
Don't they know it's never going to work

Each time she bats an eyelash  
Somebody's grabbing her ass  
Everyone keeps coming on to her  
This time somebody's getting hurt  
Here comes the next contestant

Is that your hand on my girlfriend?  
Is that your hand?  
I wish you'd do it again  
I'll watch you leave here limping  
I wish you'd do it again  
I'll watch you leave here limping  
There goes the next contestant

I'm hating what she's wearing  
Everybody here keeps staring  
Can't wait 'til they get what they deserve  
This time somebody's getting hurt  
Here comes the next contestant

Is that your hand on my girlfriend?  
Is that your hand?  
I wish you'd do it again  
I'll watch you leave here limping  
I wish you'd do it again  
I'll watch you leave here limping

I wish you'd do it again  
Each night seems like it's getting worse  
I wish you'd do it again  
This time somebody's getting hurt  
There goes the next contestant

"Damn. He's good," Lauren listened to Finn sing the lyrics. "Wait a minute, isn't that…"

"I am going to fucking _kill_ him!" Rachel spat out. She sat at the bar glaring at him and fuming. Ironically, all through the song, guys kept coming up to her and hitting on her. She turned them all down without a thought. She was too busy trying to figure out how she was going to kill Finn slowly and painfully.

"I don't think I've ever heard you curse, Rachel. Congratulations, doll face. I'm going to go out on a limb and say he still has a thing for you." Lauren observed wryly.

"What the hell is he thinking?"

"That everyone here wants to get inside you?" Lauren offered with a smile. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"So what? What they want and what they get are two different things."

"Well, technically you_ are_ single and he has no claim whatsoever. I can only imagine that's just about killing him right now. Remember high school, Rachel? Every boy in that school knew better than to look cross-eyed at you. I would imagine he's trying to express his feelings. Just like we used to back in glee."

"That's entirely logical. I'll ask him before I kill him." Lauren started laughing. Rachel was not going to admit how much she agreed with what her friend was saying. By senior year, she might as well have worn a sign that said "Don't even try, dude. Love and kisses, Puck and Finn."

"Seriously? He looks damn good, Rachel. I think maybe even better than high school. He sounds damn good, too. I would hold off on killing him. Maybe play with him a little bit first." Lauren gave her an evil smile that reminded Rachel of Santana.

"Fine. I'll talk to him, but I make no promises."

"Good. The song's done. He's coming over."

Finn walked over to her and Rachel thought he moved like a jaguar. He stared at her for minute with those gorgeous eyes of his, they burned her skin—she felt like she was on fire.

"Rach. Can we talk?" She glared at him.

"I think that would be an excellent idea, Finn." He took her elbow and guided her to the back of the bar. She held her tiny body rigid and stalked to the back. The club had a little room they let the bands use to get ready in. It was empty at the moment. The minute the door shut, Rachel slapped Finn.

"What the hell, Rachel?" Shock and surprise registered on his face.

"Exactly! What the hell, Finn? I am _not_ your girlfriend. Where do you get off singing that song? We both know why you did it, but why do think it was okay to do it?" He blushed and looked at the ceiling for a minute.

"I wasn't exactly thinking."

"Excuse me?" God, she could make him feel like he was in high school again with just a look. The only difference was, in high school she _was _his girl friend and she would have understood how blindingly jealous he was right now.

"Rachel…I took one look at you and I…" He could not finish that sentence. He just looked at her and she knew exactly what he was thinking. She blushed again, all the way down. Finn just stared at the blush going down the deep V of her dress. He swallowed. She closed her eyes. Why was it always like this with them? She grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her. His arms slid around her and pulled her tight against his chest. His hands slid down, cupping her ass, and her hands slid up and around his neck. He was kissing her so hard she was starting to see stars. Maybe that was just a lack of oxygen. He worked his way down her neck, pulled aside the dress and bit her shoulder a little harder than he would have in high school. She moaned loudly and pulled his hair slightly. He growled against her skin and started working his way down the large expanse of skin left exposed by her dress. Someone started pounding on the door.

"Fuck off!" Finn tossed over his shoulder. He turned back to Rachel whose lips were well-kissed and slightly swollen. She looked at him with heavy lidded eyes dark with lust, but then she started to giggle.

"Oh, Finn. Oh, no!" She giggled harder. He frowned at her.

"What?"

"I dusted my chest with glitter." He realized that the wide expanse of skin was kind of sparkly. Then he realized that his face had been pressed against that skin. He looked at himself in the mirror and groaned. Someone started pounding on the door again.

"Finn! C'mon Finn!" He was scrubbing uselessly at his face, trying to get the glitter off. Rachel was still giggling. He cursed under his breath and went and opened the door. His band was standing there staring from Rachel to Finn. Her lips were swollen, her hair was mussed and she was carefully adjusting her dress. Finn had glitter all over his face. It was obvious what they'd been doing. He turned and looked at her.

"Do. Not. Leave. This. Bar. I'm serious, Rachel. This isn't done yet." She looked at him for minute and then nodded.

"I'll stay." The guitarist looked at her mournfully.

"I knew it was too good to be true."

"Shut up, Devon. C'mon, let's go," Finn left the room. A couple of the members of the band looked at her curiously. They'd never seen Finn act like this.

"Wait…did he call her Rachel? Is that _the_ Rachel?"

"Shut up, Devon!"

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Rachel fixed her make-up and her hair and went back out to Lauren who smirked at her.

"Shut up, Lauren."

"I didn't say word, not one word. I mind my own business, but if you ask me…you'd be ten kinds of stupid if you said no. You look like a smart girl, Rachel. Don't disappoint me." Rachel put her head in her hands and moaned. What was she doing? What was she thinking? She pulled out her phone. She couldn't talk in the bar, it was too loud with the band playing. She made her way around the edge and ended up in front of the stage. She knew Finn could see her. She held up her phone and looked at him. He nodded and then focused on his drumming again. She turned and went outside to make her call.

"How's LA, sweetie?"

"I ran into Lauren."

"Wow! I haven't thought about her in forever! How is she doing?"

"She's fine, Kurt. The problem I'm currently having is that she took me clubbing."

"She did not dump you and leave you, did she? I can call Santana and have her come find you." Kurt's voice was worried. Rachel did not know LA at all. He'd been out a few times to visit Finn, but Rachel's schedule was always insane and she hadn't been able to come with him. As a result, she had never been to LA and it was completely unknown to her. He hated the thought of her stranded in some strange bar.

"No, mother hen. My problem is that I am at a club called Echelon." Kurt thought for a second and then he realized why that name sounded familiar.

"Oh."

"I see you understand the problem now? I should probably also tell you that I am wearing a dress similar to the one Lady Fabulous wore to that party you had a month or so ago." Kurt thought about that party. Oh my god. Finn was probably freaking out.

"Oh, Rachel. You didn't."

"I should probably also mention that the drummer of the band tonight decided he needed to sing Nickelback's "The Next Contestant" right after he saw me."

"He did not!"

"He most certainly did."

"Rachel, honey, please don't kill him. He just…well…remember when Puck came to New York for that meeting and he ended up in the same club we were at?" Rachel started blushing again. She'd never been able to use a powder room again without remembering that night.

"Yes, I do."

"You guys just can't help yourselves. It's just the way it is for you three. I don't know what to tell you, sweetie. What were you hoping I'd say?"

"I don't know," Rachel wailed into the phone. "I don't know what I should do. I should leave. I should get a cab and go back to the hotel."

"Rachel! Calm down. You can not freak out over the phone when I am cross country from you. I have no way of getting to you. Please stay there. Please talk to Finn. You haven't seen him in six years. Just talk to him."

"Okay." She really wished he hadn't mentioned the last time she'd seen Finn. It was her graduation from Eastman Musical Conservatory. Puck and Finn had both attended her graduation with her dads. She'd gone to see them in their hotel room and she never left. It had been perfect and wonderful and everything she'd been missing for the four years she'd been at Eastman.

"Rachel, look honey, I have to go. You realize it's around 1 a.m. here?"

"Oh, Kurt! I am so sorry. I'll talk to you later." Rachel took a couple deep breaths and went back into the bar where she bumped into Finn. She looked up at him. Was he taller? How was that even possible?

"I thought you left," he muttered at her.

"I said I would stay. I had to make a phone call." Finn nodded, but his jaw was tight and she knew he was holding himself still with stress and tension. She put her hand on his chest and his muscles started relaxing and unlocking. He closed his eyes and shook his head. She knew he was just as confused and scared as she was. How could they still do this to each other after so long?

"The band's taking a break. It's between sets." He stared at her. She stared back.

"Do you want to talk?"

"No. Yes. Maybe." He closed his eyes and rubbed a hand over his face. "God, why is this so hard?"

"I don't know, Finn. It just is."

"It didn't used to be," he muttered.

"It was hard in a different way," Rachel said softly.

"I suppose it was. It didn't matter though. As long as I knew we were okay, nothing else mattered." Finn stared at her again. She looked different, but she was still Rachel. She still had those eyes that seared his soul. Those eyes were staring at him, they were wide and he felt like he could see inside her. _She still loves me_. He felt the world tilt around him.

He'd never stopped loving Rachel. Sometimes, he felt like she was a drug or a poison that he just couldn't get out of his system. He'd never tell her that because she would hate being compared to poison. He'd had girlfriends, lovers, one night stands, but none of them were her. He'd tried. He'd actually had one girlfriend for about three years. Shea was sweet and kind. She had been really nice and he'd really cared about her, but he still thought about Rachel. They eventually broke up, but he didn't get drunk and cry about it. His band knew that when he got really blitzed (and melancholy) he'd start going on and on about Rachel. They'd never met her, but they'd heard about her. He refused to talk about her when he was sober. The band learned to not ask. It was safer that way.

He moved closer to her and stroked her jaw with a finger. She turned her face toward his hand and he cupped her cheek. She sighed and he knew it was her contented sigh. He felt the wall around his heart crack just a little bit. _She still loves me_. It was incredible and crazy, but he knew it was true.

"Finn!"

"My break's over. You promise you won't leave?" His beautiful brown eyes were still burning her making her feel like she couldn't breathe. She shook her head at him.

"I told you I'd stay. I'll stay." He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. Her lips felt like they were on fire. He turned and hurried back to the stage. She took a deep breath. This was exactly like the time she'd run into Puck. They'd seen each other and he'd dragged her off to the women's powder room, which was a kind of ladies' lounge antechamber off the actual toilet. He'd taken her right there on the little couch. Then he'd taken her back to his hotel room and not let her go for two days. There hadn't been a whole lot of talking, but she'd been so happy for those two days. She needed another drink.

Lauren turned out to be an awesome club date. She was not the kind of person who would ditch you and run. Good to know. Rachel was an intensely loyal person, and she admired that quality in others. Lauren was also funny as hell. She and Rachel proceeded to get just drunk enough. A really handsome, very buff guy came up to Lauren at one point. He was a wrestling hopeful and he wanted to introduce himself to her. He was charming and polite and he seemed to really enjoy Lauren's biting sense of humor. When the band took a break Lauren got a wicked grin.

"Bet you a dollar…" She didn't finish her thought because Finn materialized at Rachel's side with a possessive arm around her waist and a glare for the wrestling wannabe, Jake. Rachel rolled her eyes at Lauren.

"I will never take that bet. _Ever_."

"Is it always like this?"

"When they were together, it was worse." Finn wasn't exactly sure what they were talking about so he frowned at both Lauren and Rachel. Lauren smiled sweetly at him.

"Don't hurt yourself, Finn. Rachel and I were just speculating odds on a particular endeavor." Rachel stuck her tongue out at Lauren.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Lauren dropped Rachel and Finn off at her hotel. The elevator doors were still closing when he pulled her against him and started kissing her. They barely made it to her room, and they left a trail of clothes to her bed. Finn was in too much of a hurry to be sweet, kind, and gentle. He couldn't help but feel that this was just another replay of his favorite fantasy and she was going to vanish at any moment. Rachel didn't care. She wanted him to squeeze her tighter, hold her closer, bite her harder.

She needed this, she needed him, and she wanted it now. He was kissing, licking and _thank you, God_ biting every inch of her he could reach, which was actually slightly more difficult than it sounded because she kept twisting so she could do the same thing to him. His skin tasted of salt and sweat and man. Her teeth nipped lightly and he groaned.

"God, Rach…" Then he was holding her ankles and watching her face while he thrust as deep inside her as he could go. She threw back her head and moaned. She felt so perfect, so right. Had she been this tight back in high school? And then, he didn't care. He was deep inside her, inside this moment and he felt like he was melting into her. Her scream filled his ears and he smiled as he watched her face.

The third time wasn't as frantic. By that time, Finn was gentle, sweet and slow. He kissed his way up her inner thigh, kissed her pubic mound and then went to the other thigh and began kissing up it. She growled at him and wriggled under his hands. He grinned up at her. His long fingers stroked her while his tongue flashed teasingly against her clit. He taunted her until she was begging him to please, please, please come inside her. When he slid inside her, she wrapped her arms and her legs around him and held him against her. She managed to flip him, which surprised him—and then he held on for the ride.

Showers were just as amazing as he remembered. This time, there were no parents to worry about so they took their time, and didn't emerge until they both had pruny fingers and toes.

It was light out when they fell into an exhausted sleep in each other's arms. Rachel was cuddled so close against him it was like she was trying to burrow inside of him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and kept her there. They both slept with a slight curve of their lips.

_A/N: Now before there is gnashing of teeth and tearing of hair, do not think for a second that we are leaving Puck behind. He'll be along in just a bit. He wants to make a grand entrance and all that. You know how he is._


	4. Back to New York

_A/N: I really appreciate the positive feedback I've received so far, but I'm shameless and totally willing to receive more. I felt it might be necessary to explain one or two things briefly to avoid confusion. Remember that Finn went to L.A. with Santana, and that they attended UCLA together? They've developed a pretty strong friendship over the years. I would imagine that's because Santana is sort of like a female version of Puck—especially as far as attitude. Santana has maintained her friendship with Rachel as well as she could over the internet, but her loyalty has shifted slightly to Finn. Kurt and Rachel's friendship has grown even closer over the years—they lived together at one point. She truly considers him family, and she would move heaven and earth if Kurt needed her._

The phone was ringing. Why was the phone ringing? Rachel blinked slowly and opened her eyes. There was a big muscled arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Oh. Oh! She twisted around in the circle of his arms. It was him. _Finn_. She smiled at his sleeping face and gently traced his lips with her fingers. The phone was ringing. She twisted again. Where exactly was the sound coming from? She wriggled out of Finn's arms. He gave a protesting grumble, but he was still dead to the world. Some things never change. The ringing was coming from the hallway. She scooped up the phone and answered it breathlessly.

"Hello?"

"Finn! Where the hell are you, you never came home last night! The very least you could have done was call me! Are you all right?"

"Um…this isn't Finn." Rachel said quietly. She closed her eyes. If it was his wife or girlfriend or something she was going to kill him. A lot.

"Rachel?" Oh god. It was worse. It was Santana.

"Santana?" Rachel squeaked into the phone. Santana started laughing.

"Well no wonder he never called. Are we still having a late lunch? Or are you too busy for me now?" Rachel could feel her face get hot.

"We're meeting at 4, right?"

"Yes, but honey, it's 1 p.m. right now."

"It is?"

"Yeah. Do you think you can still meet me at 4?"

"I'm sure that I can," Rachel huffed into the phone.

"Fine, I'll see you then."

Rachel ran into the bathroom and took a quick shower. Then she started digging through her clothes looking for something decent to wear to a lunch in LA. She found a cute pale yellow dress with a matching cropped jacket and pulled out her black and yellow jimmy choos (a present from Kurt at Hannukah). She brushed out her hair and put it up in a neat French twist. She was looking for her purse when she realized she should leave Finn a note or something.

_Finn,_

_I have a lunch date at 4 p.m. I'll be back after that. I don't have plans this evening, do you? Leave a message on my phone…or just stay here until I get back, whichever you choose._

_Rachel_

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Rachel arrived at the restaurant about five minutes early. She hated being late to anything, even lunch with a friend. She gave her name to the Maître d' and followed him to Santana's table. She sat down and looked around her. It was a nice restaurant and it looked expensive. Soon, she saw Santana weaving her way through the tables toward her. She stood up and they hugged. Santana kissed her on the cheek.

"You look good, chica. How have you been?" Santana smiled fondly at Rachel as she took her seat. Rachel smiled back.

"It's been so hectic, lately. The play took off and then all of these incredible offers poured in. Thank god I have Margaret and Andrew." Those were her agent and her lawyer, respectively. They knew Rachel and knew what would and would not appeal to her. They filtered through the offers and then passed along the ones they knew she would be interested in. Santana nodded and smiled while she listened. The waiter came over and Santana ordered for both of them.

"So, you never really said, why are you out here in L.A.?" Rachel took a sip of water and swallowed.

"They want to make _Artistic Explosion_ into a movie and they want me to play my role in it."

"No way!" Rachel laughed.

"Yes. It's true, I swear it." Santana stared at her for a minute.

"That means you'd have to live here while they were filming, right?"

"Yes. It should take about four months if I understand them correctly."

"So you're going to be living in L.A. for four months?"

"Yes." Santana grew still and she narrowed her gaze at Rachel.

"Does he know that?" They both knew which _he_ Santana meant.

"Not yet. We haven't really had a chance to talk." Rachel could feel her face getting hot again. Santana started laughing and couldn't stop for several minutes.

"No. I imagine you haven't. Rachel, you have to tell him as soon as possible. Please, don't fuck around with him." Rachel's spine got rigid and she sat perfectly straight in her chair. Her chin went up and Santana felt for a moment like she was looking at the old Rachel Berry.

"I would never do that to him. I will tell him as soon as I see him or talk to him again. He was asleep when I left." She added the last almost as an excuse for not telling him yet. Santana started laughing again.

"The poor baby. You must have worn him out." Rachel flushed and glared at Santana. The rest of their lunch passed in friendly, casual conversation. Rachel hadn't planned anything for today because she'd wanted a day of down time. She had one meeting tomorrow and one more the day after. She'd tried to schedule this almost as a vacation for herself because she desperately needed one. Her doctor had warned her that she was starting to stretch herself dangerously thin.

"Are you going to the reunion?" Rachel asked curiously. She wasn't sure if Santana would even see a need to go. She'd left Lima behind for a lot of reasons. The most important reason had decided to follow her out here. Were any of the other reasons worth going back?

"I think we are. Brittany wants to see everyone. She wants to make sure Artie's happy," Santana rolled her eyes at that point.

"Are you guys? Is Brittany happy?" Rachel didn't know what possessed her to keep asking that question, but it kept happening.

"I'd like to think so. I mean, with Britt it can be hard to tell sometimes, but yeah…I think she's happy. I know I'm happy. I like what I do for a living. I like that every day when I get up I know I've been true to myself. I think that's what matters, Rachel. Don't worry about doing what people expect of you…you should worry about being able to look at yourself in the mirror. If you look at yourself in the mirror and you like the person staring back...that's what matters."

Rachel blinked at Santana. It was uncanny that she would say that particular phrase. _Don't worry about doing what people expect of you_. She had done a lot of that lately. She'd taken on too many projects because she felt it was expected of her. Rachel had been stretched far too thin and had grown more and more unhappy as a result. She'd already committed to this movie. The movie, she actually wanted to do, but there were other side projects that were going to take up way too much of her time.

"You probably should go, chica. It's after six and Finn's most likely freaking out." It was true. He probably was. She stood up and then stared at Santana who shook her head.

"I've got it. Trust me, I can afford it." Rachel gave a short nod and left.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Finn was pacing restlessly when Rachel burst into her hotel room. They stared at each other for several moments. She shut the door and leaned against it. He watched her watching him for several minutes. She took a deep breath and he felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. She was going to tell him it had all been a mistake. She was going to ask him to leave.

"You know why I'm in L.A.?" He frowned at her. This was a weird way to ask him to leave.

"No. You never said."

"There going to make a film of my play and they want me to do my role in it." Finn watched her face. She said that like it was some sort of big, important deal. Wait a minute.

"They're going to make a movie? So…you have to come here to film it, right?" Was that what she was saying? Finn tried not to think about what that might mean. He couldn't. Just in case that wasn't what she meant at all.

"Yes, Finn. I'll have to live in L.A. for four months while they film it." _She was going to live in L.A. for four months_. His chest was starting to hurt because his heart was beating so fast.

"When do they start filming?" How did he manage to sound so casual? He was amazed at himself.

"In a couple months. I'll have to make living arrangements. I have a friend in New York who might sublet to me."

"Oh. Well, that would be convenient wouldn't it?" He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say and he was having trouble thinking clearly. Maybe he should start breathing again.

"Finn, I'd like to see you while I'm here filming." She wasn't looking at him, she was talking to her shoes. Was she shy? Did she think he was going to tell her no? Maybe he'd hit her head against the headboard one too many times the night before. She might have swelling on the brain or something. Maybe Santana would look at her for him.

"Yeah?" She looked up at him. Really looked at him. His face was radiating a fierce kind of joy she'd never really seen there before. Then again, they'd never been apart from each other for ten years before. (One or two day reunions did NOT count—they were over too quickly.)

"Yes."

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Rachel cried for most of the plane trip back to New York. Now she knew why she'd never really made a huge effort to hunt either one of them down. It hurt too much when it was over. It felt so perfect while it was happening that the separation was agonizing. She'd forgotten how miserable she'd been ten years ago. She dragged herself and her luggage up the stairs to her apartment, sniffling as she went.

"What's the matter, shorty?" She looked up in shock. Noah had been standing outside her apartment holding flowers, but now he was looking at her with concern. He whipped out a tissue and started dabbing at her face. She looked up into his beautiful eyes and started crying again.

"N-n-oah?"

"Yeah, baby girl, but I was hoping for better than this." He was completely stumped. He thought she'd jump his bones or drag him to her bedroom or something.

"I'm so happy to see you," she sobbed into his suit jacket.

"Yeah, I can totally tell." Her phone started ringing. She fumbled with it and Puck took it from her and answered it.

"Rach? I just wanted to make sure you got home okay."

"Finn?"

"Puck?"

"Yeah. Hey, do you know what's wrong with her? She's crying all over the hallway outside her apartment."

"Um…it might be because she was out here for a week and she just got home from the airport," Finn sounded uncertain. Puck's eyebrows shot up his forehead. He and Finn stayed in touch and they still considered each other to be best friends. They talked at least once a week, but Finn hadn't called him last week. Puck had thought about calling him up and chewing his ass out, but hell he couldn't blame him now. He wouldn't have called if he had Rachel in his bed for a week.

"So she's missing you? Is that what you're telling me?" Puck couldn't help the stab of jealousy he felt.

"I think so? Kurt called me and told me I'd better call her or he'd kick my ass. Can I please talk to her for just a second?" Puck handed the phone to Rachel who sniffled into it.

"Rachel?"

"Yes."

"Okay, so Puck's there now. You'll be fine and I'll see you in just a couple months. I…I…I'll call you later. Puck will take care of you. Okay, Rach?"

"You'll call me?" She sounded sort of lost, like a little girl. It worried Finn slightly. He'd call Puck later and talk to him about it.

"Yeah, but not for a day or two. I'm sure Puck is going to want to…uh…visit with you."

"Okay." She hung up the phone and stared at Puck for a minute. She fished out her key and opened the door. Noah picked up all her luggage and followed her into her apartment. He was jealous. He knew it and he didn't like it. He hadn't come here to be jealous. Especially not over Finn, not after all they'd been through together. He'd come here to have a serious talk with Rachel.

"You didn't tell Finn you were going out there, did you? If you had, he would have told me about it." Rachel frowned at him. She didn't really talk to Puck or Finn all that much any more. Usually about once a month, if her schedule permitted she would make sure to call each of them. Lately, her schedule hadn't permitted much.

"No. It was a business trip, and I wasn't sure I would have time to see him." That was a lie. She'd been afraid to see him.

"And you ended up spending all week with him?" Puck hated that he was pressing like a jealous boyfriend. This was _Finn_. He couldn't be jealous about Finn. Then again, Puck hadn't just spent an entire week wrapped around Rachel. _He_ hadn't seen Rachel in four years and just standing this close to her made him ache inside.

"Yes. Noah, why are you here? You live in Vermont. This is not Vermont."

"No, shorty, it isn't. I came to talk to you. Kurt told me when your flight got back." Rachel blinked at him.

"You came to talk to me?" She sounded confused and slightly unsure of herself. He was definitely going to call Finn and talk to him.

"Yeah, but I'd like a hug and a kiss if that's okay." Rachel shook her head at him.

"That's a stupid thing to say, Noah. Of course it's okay. Come here." He scooped her up into his arms and gave her a gentle hug. He kissed her softly on the mouth and smiled against her lips when she pressed against him. At some point, the hug and the kiss deepened and become something else. When they pulled away from each other they were both panting slightly. He carried her to her couch and sat with her in his lap.

"I came to talk to you." Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded. She pressed her lips along his jaw. What had he come to talk to her about? It had been really important. She was now nibbling on his earlobe. Really, really important. She kissed down his neck and nipped him lightly. _What was his name again_?

"Noah," she breathed in his ear. Oh, yeah. His name was Noah. Thank god, she was keeping track of that for him. He buried his face in her hair and breathed in her scent.

"Rachel?"

"I've missed this," she murmured almost to herself. He'd missed _her_. Every hour of every day for ten years. Unless you counted her graduation and that one business trip, which he didn't because they'd only lasted for a couple days.

"Really?" She kept trying to press closer and closer against him.

"Uh-huh." He picked her up and carried her in the bedroom. He undressed her, tossing her clothes in a corner. He undressed himself in no time. He stood in front of her completely naked. He had nothing to be ashamed of, he'd kept up on all his workouts. Her beautiful chocolate eyes filled with wonder as her hands traced the hard planes and angles of his chest. He looked at her. She was even more beautiful, if that were even possible. He noticed fading bite marks on her shoulder and fingerprints on her hips. Strangely enough, those didn't make him jealous. They were comforting. They reminded him of when everything was okay with all three of them. He stroked his hands down her back and pulled her against him. He kissed her hard on the mouth and left her breathless.

"I missed this, too."

Puck paid attention to every single inch of her body. He even kissed the tips of her toes. She giggled at him and tried to pull her feet out of his hands. She stopped giggling and started moaning when he paid homage to his very favorite spot on planet Earth. He noticed a fading bite mark on the inside of her left thigh, so he bit the right thigh. She gave a loud moan of encouragement and tugged at his hair. Okay, then. He made sure that there were plenty of nips and bites mixed in with the kisses, and licks he was placing on the inside of her thighs. She wriggled under his ministrations and he grinned to himself. He leaned forward and flicked her clit with his tongue. She drew a ragged breath.

"Noah. _Now_." She wriggled again. He flicked her clit with the tip of his tongue just once more—to show her who was in charge. She whimpered and wriggled impatiently. He raised himself up and slid into her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She shifted against him, trying to take him even deeper. He bit the inside of his cheek. _C'mon, baby girl_, _be nice_. He began to take slow, even strokes. She clung to him, her nails digging into his back. Her ankles were locked around his waist and she met him thrust for thrust. He looked into her chocolate eyes and he felt like he was looking into eternity. She clung tighter. He kissed her then because it seemed like the right thing to do. His tongue mimicked his body and she moaned frantically into his mouth. Her little hands fluttered over his shoulders, against his chest.

"It's okay, shorty. Stay with me." She locked her eyes with his. He was trying to take slow, deep breaths. He didn't want this to end, he'd waited too long to be here. She started to breath with him. When she let go, it was almost like he could feel it with her, and then he let go himself and they were together and everything was okay—just like he'd told her.

He woke up still wrapped around her and he realized she was watching him. He flushed with embarrassment. Nothing like that had ever quite happened before. He had never fallen asleep on Rachel until they were both so exhausted she called it quits or he surrendered. She smiled gently at him and kissed him lightly.

"You're embarrassed." It was a statement.

"I'll make it up to you, shorty, I promise." She shook her head at him.

"_Le petit mort_. I've read about it. I've just never experienced it until now. I think they fail to convey it properly in written texts," she mused, almost to herself.

"What?" Puck was pretty sure she had just insulted him and he frowned at her. She smiled gently at him again.

"It means the little death. It's where you have an orgasm so intense that you sort of pass out. I guess you shouldn't wait four years to come see me." This last was a little dig. He did live on the East Coast. Ostensibly, he should have been able to see her far more often than Finn. That was their girl, he thought fondly. She always liked to keep them on their toes. Then he frowned. She wasn't their girl, and hadn't been for a long time.

"Rachel," he began and then stopped. Now probably wasn't the best time to have this conversation.

"Noah, I think you and I both need to talk. Why don't we take a shower and get into something slightly less comfortable." He followed her into the bathroom. The shower took longer than it probably should have because one thing led to another, and Puck had her pressed up against the shower wall. She put on a bathrobe and found one that she kept for emergencies. She had a man's bathrobe in her apartment. He wondered who it had belonged to, and why she had kept it. Noah frowned at the bathrobe so fiercely that she gave a wry laugh.

"No one has ever worn it, Noah. I like to think I'm a hospitable person. I bought it just in case, and I've never used it. Kurt always wears one of mine." He gave a noncommittal grunt and put on the bathrobe. They both sat down and stared at each other for a minute.

"You go first," Noah muttered.

"The movie rights to the play I was in were purchased. They're making a film and I'm going to reprise my stage role. Filming starts in two months."

"That's why you were out in L.A.?"

"Yes. I had already signed contracts for the film. We were just hammering out some details for the filming schedule." She was going to be a movie star. Puck felt the world drop out from under him for a second. "What did you come to talk to me about, Noah?"

"I miss you." She cocked her head at him. There was more there. "I'm tired of missing you. Finn misses you, too. Sometimes, we talk about it. I didn't tell him I was going to come talk to you, I just decided to do it. Rachel, I want to be with you. I know Finn does, too. I kept hoping that you would get tired of missing us, or even that you did miss us. God…this sounded so much better in Vermont." Puck put his head in his hands. He sounded like an idiot.

"You think I didn't miss you?" Rachel got a very peculiar look on her face. She stood up and grabbed his hand. She dragged him back to her bedroom. He was confused. She stopped and crossed her arms across her chest and glared at him. He looked around her room (he hadn't really been paying attention earlier). The walls were covered with pictures of the three of them. Their junior prom picture was on her nightstand. He realized with a start that a slightly battered Eeyore was peeking out from under one of the pillows. There were heart picture frames around several of the pictures.

"So you did miss us." Rachel threw her hands in the air.

"Gee, ya think?"

"But why didn't you ever say anything?" She shook her head in confusion.

"When? While we were in college? When I was working my ass off to make all my dreams come true? When I was working my ass off because my dreams were coming true? Now that I'm working my ass off and all my dreams have come true?"

"At any time, really. You never once said you were tired of missing us. Not when you graduated. Not four years ago…never." She growled at him. He blinked in surprise.

"Neither did you, Puckerman." Oh great. Now she was pissed. He felt like he was back in high school again.

"I wanted you to do everything you'd dreamed about. I wanted you to be proud of yourself."

"I did and I am. I've done it all Noah, but that didn't stop me from missing you or Finn. I cried when he went to L.A. I figured it was because he wanted to be as far from me as possible. I could never figure out why you lived on the East Coast, but would never visit me. I decided you must both hate me or something." Tears were slipping down Rachel's cheeks. She couldn't help it. These were secrets she'd kept hidden within her for years. Things she'd never even told Kurt. Worries and fears that she would obsess over whenever she couldn't sleep, and lately she hadn't slept well a majority of the time. Pretty soon she was sobbing and Puck was holding her in his lap on the couch again. He'd grabbed Eeyore and Rachel clutched his battered, furry body to her chest and cried all over Puck's shoulder. Puck held her, stroking her back and cuddling her against him. He really wished Finn were here right now. It was a lot easier to calm her down when it was both of them. If he were brutally honest with himself, he missed Finn almost as badly as he missed Rachel. Finn was his best friend. When they had each other's backs he felt like they could do anything. Everything just felt right when it was all three of them. He kissed Rachel on the top of her head.

"Hang on, baby girl." He went over to the pile of their clothes and dug through it until he found his phone. Finn was on his speed dial. He answered right away.

"Puck? Is she okay?" Finn's voice was worried.

"I don't think so. We need you. Yesterday would be best. See what you can do." Puck was trying to keep it as short as possible so that he wouldn't start crying into the damn phone, too. He hated that Rachel had thought all this time that they didn't love her anymore. He hated that the three of them were so far apart now, but they needed all three of them to be here to fix it.

"But, what happened?" Finn was confused and Puck couldn't really blame him.

"Apparently, she's been thinking, for like 8 years now, that you moved to L.A. because you hate her ass. And that's just for starters."

"She _**what**_?" Puck had to hold the phone away from his ear. Wow. Finn had pretty strong lungs.

"There's more," Puck continued grimly.

"I'm on my way." Good. That's what he'd hoped Finn would say. He went back to the couch and pulled Rachel into his lap. Rachel snuggled up against him. She was done crying for the moment. He gave her some tissues and helped her blot her cheeks. She was looking a little better.

"Finn's on his way. He's slightly irritated that you think he hates you." She stared at him with those big chocolate eyes and bit her lip. _Dear God help me_. Puck swung her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom. Maybe he could prove he didn't hate her. It couldn't hurt to try anyway.

_A/N: It may seem as though I am updating at some sort of maniacal rate right now, but I have not been able to stop writing this…it's like I'm possessed or something. _


	5. Serious Discussions

Puck was in Rachel's kitchen rummaging through her cupboards and fridge looking for food. He'd been there for two days, and it was the first time he'd bothered to look for food. There didn't seem to be much there. Her fridge contained bottled water, some sort of anti-oxidant juice, and some kind of vegan bread. Her cupboards were almost bare. What exactly did Rachel eat? Puck was muttering to himself, and opening and shutting cupboards so it wasn't surprising that he didn't hear the front door open. He was wearing a pair of shorts, and nothing else.

"Hey Rachel, I forgot to bring your key by yesterday I hope you're not too mad at me." There was a tall blond woman standing in the kitchen doorway. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped open. She was staring at the broad expanse of naked Puck chest in Rachel's kitchen.

"Naomi?" Both Naomi and Puck turned to see Rachel, clutching her bathrobe closed and frowning.

"I don't believe we've been formally introduced. I'm Naomi Halverson. I went to Eastman with Rachel." Naomi held out her hand to Puck. He shook it cautiously, carefully.

"Puck. Nice to meet you."

"Excuse me?" Naomi looked confused.

"My name, it's Puck." Naomi turned toward Rachel.

"I thought you said his name was Noah." Rachel sighed. She really did not want to have this conversation _right now_ with Naomi. Especially when she wasn't exactly sure what was going on just yet.

"Naomi, this is my very dear friend, Noah Puckerman. He usually goes by Puck."

"He looks a little more than dear considering he's almost naked in your kitchen." Rachel closed her eyes and counted to ten in her head.

"Not _now_, Naomi. I will call you later. Give me my key." Naomi pouted at her, but she handed over the key. There was a frantic pounding at the door. _Of course_. _Someday I am going to find the Fates and kick their collective ass. _She sighed again and went and opened the door. Finn swept her up in a tight hug and kissed her lips, nose, forehead, lips again.

"Baby, you have to know that—," Rachel put a finger on his lips and turned to look at Naomi who was watching everything goggle-eyed. Finn straightened up awkwardly and released his tight hold, but he kept an arm around her. Naomi held out her hand and grinned at Finn.

"Naomi Halverson, I went to Eastman with Rachel." He took her hand and shook it while he stared in confusion at Puck. Puck just shrugged.

"Um…Finn Hudson. It's a pleasure?"

"Oh, honey, the pleasure is all mine."

"Good_bye_, Naomi."

"Goodbye, Rachel," Naomi sang at her as the door shut firmly in her face. Rachel turned around and pressed her back to the door. Puck and Finn were standing in her living room. Her heart was beating so fast she thought that maybe they could hear it. They stared at her and then they stared at each other. Finn and Puck hadn't actually seen each other in several years. They did one of those fierce, hard guy hugs. Then they pulled her over and did one of their three way hugs. Then all three of them started scrubbing their faces. They were _not _crying. They ended up sitting on her little couch. It was extremely cozy, but the three of them were okay with that for the moment. Puck and Finn looked at each other. They'd talked about this on the phone several times over the years. Now what?

"Rachel, you have to understand that I went to L.A. because I thought maybe it would help me figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up. It was definitely _not_ because I hated you. I've never hated you. I couldn't." Finn's voice was quiet and earnest. She had to believe him, she just had to. She looked up at him for several minutes, it was as though she thought she could read the truth in his eyes. She gave a tiny nod, and Finn released the breath he'd been holding.

"Rachel, we both thought that this was what you wanted, and we wanted you to be happy—to fulfill all your dreams." She frowned and shook her head slightly.

"This is exactly what I wanted, and I have fulfilled all my dreams," she said slowly, carefully. "It's just…I'm not sure if it's enough for me anymore. I think...I think I want more. I mean, I'm grateful for everything that's happened because it's helped to shape me into who I am today. I'm very lucky and I should be satisfied with all my accomplishments."

"You're not satisfied with everything you've done?" Puck wanted to make sure he understood her. She seemed to be sort of rambling at the moment.

"No. I'm proud of everything I've done. I just keep wishing that you both were here to share it with me. I can call you on the phone, and you are always appreciative of my achievements, but it's not the same."

Finn looked at Puck with confusion. He'd always thought that Rachel was really happy in New York without them. That was one of the reasons they hadn't come and begged her to take them back years ago. They had come to the conclusion that her life in New York was exactly how she wanted it—Puckless and Finn-free.

"But—," he started to say. Puck held up a hand and gave him a warning look. He knew what Finn was thinking because he'd thought the same thing. As his literature professor, Dr. McCaslin, had said, "showing is better than telling."

"C'mon, you have to see this." He grabbed Finn and dragged him into Rachel's bedroom. Finn stared at the walls of Rachel's bedroom, which were filled with pictures of the three of them from high school. He saw poor Eeyore guarding her bed. He saw the junior prom picture on her nightstand. He turned and stared at Puck.

"She missed us?" He whispered because he couldn't speak past the tears.

"Yeah. Quite a bit, I think. Look at poor Eeyore. He's been filling in for us."

Eeyore was so well-loved he was fairly tatty-looking. Finn blinked back tears and stared from Eeyore to Puck. They shared one of those looks that conveyed volumes of meaning. _What the hell do we do now? Hell, I was hoping you'd know_. They both turned and went back to Rachel. She was sitting on the couch, holding herself carefully rigid with her hands clasped in her lap. She was watching them cautiously, warily. They looked at each other and sighed.

"You know," Puck said conversationally, "this feels strangely familiar." Finn frowned in confusion for a moment and then he grinned as realized what Puck meant. He and Puck sat down on either side of Rachel and they each took a hand.

"We love you." They said it in unison, and it made gooseflesh raise on Rachel's arms.

"We can't help it, and we can't stop it. So we're yours, if you'll have us," Finn added. Rachel was shaking her head and tears were spilling down her cheeks again.

"Why are we like this? Why is this the only way it works for us," she asked the room at large. Puck and Finn hugged her between them.

"Dunno, baby girl. It just does. Love's weird that way," Puck observed wryly.

"Rachel?" Finn was watching her face. Puck knew what he was asking. With their girl, a guy could never assume anything. She looked at both of them. She worried the edge of her bathrobe with her fingers.

"I…I can't stop loving either of you either. I mean…I never actually tried to stop. I just can't. I miss you both so much it hurts. If you both want me, you have me."

Puck's cheeks hurt he was grinning so broadly. Finn's face had that same fierce joy he'd had in L.A. She smiled shyly back at both of them and then they were squeezing her so tightly she squeaked. They immediately released her, but kept their arms around her.

"So just so we're all clear, you're our girl again?" Finn was not letting this go. He'd had way too many dreams where it had gone exactly like this and then Dream-Rachel would give him a sad smile and tell him that she didn't need him or want him in her life anymore.

"Yes. Or well…I suppose I don't really qualify as a girl anymore, but I can't stand it when people refer to their significant other as 'my woman'," Rachel shuddered delicately. Puck thought for a minute.

"Well, girlfriend doesn't really have any specific age limit, but Finn and I will probably still call you our girl. I'm sorry, shorty, but I've been calling you our girl in my head for twelve years and that's a long time. I'm bound to slip up at some point." Rachel smiled a shy, sweet smile.

"That's okay. That means you are my boys again." They each kissed her gently on a cheek and then Puck looked at Finn, and frowned.

"Finn, how long have you got?"

"I told them it might be a week. I've got a friend who's a pretty good drummer and he's filling in for me right now." Puck nodded, thinking.

"I took a sabbatical. I'm sort of free for the next year. Rachel do you have commitments before you go to L.A.?" Rachel nodded.

"I do, but I was thinking of backing out of some of them." Puck and Finn just looked at her. That didn't sound like the Rachel Berry they knew. She blushed and looked at her lap. She muttered something. Puck nudged her and both of them gave her a pointed look. She sighed.

"Rachel?" Finn's tone was firm and she blinked at him. Kurt hadn't tattled on her. Wow. She needed to write that down somewhere.

"You mean Kurt didn't tell you?" She couldn't believe that he hadn't run and told on her at the first opportunity.

"Tell me what?"

"I sort of collapsed from exhaustion and my doctor sort of threatened me," she muttered, staring at her lap again.

"_**What?**_" Did the both of them really have to yell? Her phone started ringing and she grabbed it off the coffee table. Anything was better than facing Puck and Finn at the moment.

"Yes?"

"Rachel Barbra Berry! I just got off the phone with Kurt, have you lost what little sense you had to begin with?" Great. It must be yell at Rachel day. She had somehow missed that date on the calendar. However, she did feel slightly better that Kurt had tattled on her. Otherwise, she would have to assume that the end of the world was nigh or something.

"I don't believe so, Santana. What exactly are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I am talking about. You put Finn on this very second, or I will reach through this phone and throttle you." Rachel sighed and passed the phone to Finn. He listened carefully, his face growing darker and his jaw tightening until he was glaring at Rachel. She leaned away from the anger in his face and Puck put a protective arm around Rachel's waist.

"Why do I feel left out," Puck muttered at Rachel. She peeked up at him.

"I'm sure Finn will fill you in, in a minute, and then you can both yell at me," she muttered back. He made a non-committal grunt but he kept an arm around her.

"Just remember, shorty, if we are yelling it is because we love you and we're both scared to lose you. Especially if it's because you worked yourself to death or something." Puck pressed a kiss to her brow as Finn told Santana good-bye and promised to call her in a day or so. Then Finn turned and just looked at Rachel. He looked absolutely furious. In fact, Rachel couldn't recall ever seeing him look like that at her. Puck frowned at Finn. _Well?_ Finn took a couple deep breaths to calm himself.

"She's severely overbooked herself, her manager hadn't realized that Rachel accepted almost all of the offers she'd passed along. She hasn't been eating or sleeping well for months. She collapsed _twice_ and her doctor told her if she didn't get her shit straight he'd hospitalize her to make sure she got the bed rest she needed. That was _before_ she signed the contracts for the movie. When her doctor found out about that he called Kurt up to ream him a new one and ask him if he wanted his best friend dead. Only, Rachel hadn't told Kurt about any of this—she'd kept it all hidden from him so he had no idea what the doctor was talking about."

Puck stared at Rachel. Did she have a death wish or something? _Did she want to die?_ Why was she doing this to herself? She wouldn't look at either of them. She kept wringing her hands in her lap.

"Rachel, is all that true?" Puck just couldn't believe that she would do this to herself. She sighed unhappily and nodded.

"Why would you lie to Kurt," Finn wanted to know. Rachel's head shot up and she glared at Finn.

"I did _not_ lie to Kurt. I didn't tell him I collapsed, and I didn't tell him I went to see my doctor."

"You collapsed _twice_," Puck said quietly. Rachel's eyes welled up with tears and she bit her lip. 

"I was just so busy," she choked out, "I'd made all these commitments and I had to follow through."

"We are cancelling _all _of them, not jut some of them," Finn said harshly.

"But—," Rachel started to say something.

"No buts, shorty. We just got you back. We are not losing you. You can argue until you're blue in the face. I'll tie you to the bed if I have to." Puck was completely serious and Rachel knew it. She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted at both of them.

"Fine." She refused to look at them. Puck raised her chin so that she could see their faces.

"We love you, Rachel. If we didn't we wouldn't care what you did to yourself. Finn's furious because he's afraid you'll die on him before he has a chance to be your boyfriend again. I'm scared too. Shorty, you can't leave us yet. You just can't." She looked at both of them and nodded slowly.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

"Finn, we have to go to the store or something. She hasn't got a damn thing to eat in the house. Do you want to go or do you want to stay with her?" Puck was standing in the kitchen and he'd called out to Finn in the living room. Rachel wandered into the kitchen.

"Nobody has to leave. We can just order it and they'll deliver it here." Puck stared at her. In Vermont, he still had to haul his ass to the store if he wanted bread and coffee. Finn was familiar with the concept, he knew there were grocery stores in L.A. that did that, but Brittany loved going to the store so Santana never bothered with it. Puck grabbed his phone.

"What place do you normally order from?" Rachel told him and he looked it up. He ordered a bunch of fresh vegetables and fruit for Rachel because he figured she needed them. He conferred with Finn and ordered some meat for them. He basically made sure there was enough to fill Rachel's fridge and cupboards.

"I'll never be able to eat all that," she protested.

"Finn and I are staying until we have all this figured out. We're still growing boys, cut us some slack." Rachel rolled her eyes at that. They were not growing boys. They were grown men. A couple hours later, there was a knock at Rachel's door and several boxes of food were carried in. Puck had paid on his phone so everything was taken care of. Finn called Santana and talked to her for a couple minutes about what types of foods would be best for Rachel. Then he and Puck made her dinner according to Santana's specific instructions.

"I am not eating meat," she called from the living room when she could smell it cooking.

"It's not for you," Puck called back. Rachel padded to the kitchen and watched them for a few minutes.

"Well, I'm not kissing anyone with meat breath," she said wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"I'll gargle with bleach," Puck tossed over his shoulder. Rachel rolled her eyes and went back out to the living room. A few minutes later she was back in the kitchen with a suspicious glint in her eye.

"You didn't buy any pork, did you?" Puck just looked at her. "Well, I'm just checking! Your mom used to get you sweet & sour pork all the time, and I'll tell you what Noah Puckerman, my children are going to be raised in a kosher home!" Then she stomped out to the living room again. Finn and Puck stared at each other.

"Did she say—?"

"Yeah." They grinned at each other. Then Finn frowned.

"Wait a minute…does that mean I can't eat bacon?"

"Um…about that. Yes, you can't eat bacon. You also can't have cheeseburgers. There's actually a really long list. Don't worry, I'll do the grocery shopping until you know what we can and can't have."

"No cheeseburgers?" Finn looked absolutely crestfallen. Puck just looked at him. _Really, dude? You'd rather have a cheeseburger?_ For Finn that wasn't even a question. It just hadn't occurred to him that he'd leave L.A. with In & Out cheeseburgers in his stomach and come back a teetotaler. He gave Puck a disgusted look. _You know me better than that._ Puck nodded and then called out to Rachel.

"Rachel? Baby, c'mon." Rachel padded back to the kitchen. Puck handed her a plate heaped with vegetable stir-fried noodles, heavy on the vegetables.

"How am I supposed to eat all of this," Rachel asked as she took in the huge pile of noodles on her plate with wide eyes.

"I expect you to put a healthy dent in it or no sex for you," Puck said drily. Rachel peeked at Finn.

"Seriously, Rachel, if that's what it takes, we're not putting out until you put it away." Finn looked very determined. Rachel sighed and grabbed her chopsticks from the drawer. She sat at her tiny kitchen table with Puck on side and Finn on the other. They made her poor table look like it had come from a dollhouse or something. They couldn't comfortably fit their knees under the table so they looked slightly silly with their dinners sort of balanced in their laps. Rachel hid a smile and started eating her noodles.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Finn and Puck frowned at Rachel's bed.

"What the hell do you suppose that is, a double?" Puck didn't like the looks of this at all.

"I don't know, but I do know I'm going to be hanging off the end of it," Finn groused. He laid down on it to prove his point, and his feet hung off the end.

"Can't you kind of curl up?" Puck asked. Finn shot him a dirty look.

"What, around you? Are you willing to spoon with me, Puckerman?"

"Well, Rachel will be in the middle."

"So you won't spoon with me, but you'll play footsie with me?" Sarcasm still wasn't his forte, but Finn had improved over the years. Puck blamed Santana, she was always a bad influence.

"We'll figure out something," Puck snapped. Rachel came out of the bathroom with her hair wrapped in a towel and frowned at them.

"Why are you two being so snarky with one another?"

"Your bed. It's for teeny weeny people. Finn and I? Not so teeny weeny." Finn laid down again to prove Puck's point. Rachel put her hand to her mouth to hide a smile.

"Oh dear," She murmured. "It's never been a problem before." Finn sat up and Puck got that look. Really? Her lips tightened in annoyance.

"Who's slept in that bed?" Puck's voice was a little too calm.

"Kurt," Rachel bit out between clenched teeth. "Whenever he stays the night, he sleeps with me. I don't have anywhere else to put him. My couch is too small for anyone to sleep on."

"Shorty, look-," Puck began.

"Don't you shorty, me, Noah Puckerman! Yes, I've slept with other people. So what? Have you been a perfect celibate saint since you last saw me? What about you, Finn? You've worn a chastity belt for six years?" Finn flushed in embarrassment. Rachel was right. Puck thought about what Rachel said. It was completely valid.

"Erm, clarification? You've slept with other 'people'? Not just other men?" Puck knew Rachel and she usually used language skillfully and chose her words with care. Rachel flushed. Great. Just freaking great. What a classic Freudian slip. Damn her tongue! Oh great. Another one. _Grrrr._

"Once. In college. I was incredibly drunk, I missed you two, and I was curious. I mean, I am the daughter of two gay dads. Unfortunately, that decision has haunted me ever since. What about you two? Anything you want to share?"

Puck and Finn both shook their heads. She hadn't really expected anything else because Santana would have had her on the phone so fast her she would've gotten whiplash. Finn's curiosity was piqued.

"The decision haunts you? Was it that bad? I mean, I think girls are pretty nice." Rachel had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. She'd forgotten how sweet Finn could be.

"It wasn't the experience. The experience was interesting…definitely different. It just didn't do anything for me. No, it was the girl. She keeps hoping for a repeat and it just isn't going to happen."

"But if it was that boring…why would she care?" Finn was confused now, and Puck was starting to look interested.

"That's a valid point Rachel…why would she care?" Rachel sighed and sat on her bed.

"She kind of has a crush on me. I said it was boring for me, not for her. I…um…I took care of business, okay?" Puck's eyes widened. Finn's mouth dropped open.

"Uh…okay, then. We've all done stuff in the past. With other people. Now we are all back together again so the only people we will be doing anything with is each other. Does that work, Rachel?" Puck glanced at her. She had a wicked grin.

"Does that mean you and Finn are going to kiss and stuff?"

"What? No! Rachel, he means we're an exclusive unit," Finn huffed at her. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Yes. I get it. You boys aren't willing to share except with each other. I do remember the last time we did this, you know."

"I just want to make sure that everything is clear and upfront." Puck was feeling put upon. Rachel kissed him on the cheek.

"Everything is clear and upfront. We're a…whatever we are. An exclusive whatever we are. Can we go to bed now?"

"Are you tired, Rachel?" Finn was looking at her worriedly. Santana had given him a list of warning signs for fatigue.

"No."

"Oh. OH!"

The three of them were adults, but they still got into bed with their pajamas on. Maybe someday, Finn would be comfortable enough to walk around in the bedroom naked in front of Rachel and Puck. She sort of doubted it. Poor Finn had to sort of curl around her on his side of the bed and his feet did touch Puck's. Finn sighed.

"I don't know if this is going to work for me. I mean, how are we supposed to do anything?"

"Finn?" Puck looked at him over Rachel's body, which was sandwiched between them.

"What?"

"Shut up and kiss Rachel."

"Okay."

Finn leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. He could feel her smiling against his lips. He pulled back and looked into those bottomless chocolate eyes.

"What?" She shook her head and pulled him back to her lips. Puck was kissing her shoulder and his hand was sliding under her tank top to stroke her rib cage and then cup her breast. Rachel moaned into Finn's mouth. At some point, Puck's tongue slid into her mouth and Finn's mouth found a lonely breast. Her tiny hands went roaming and they always found something interesting to do. There was so much to play with after all. Her nails raked lightly over Puck's chest and he groaned against her lips. Her fingers slid down further and he gasped against her mouth. Rachel grinned. Puck bit her on the side of the neck. Finn's fingers were doing some wandering of their own and Rachel's eyes flared wide and she gave moan of pleasure. Finn kissed her deeply, his tongue teasing her mouth the same way his fingers were teasing her. Somehow, someway, they made it work—just like they always did. Rachel was exploring Finn's body with her mouth and hands; he was moaning under her clever mouth and skilled fingers. Puck was behind Rachel and she stopped for just a second to peek at him over her shoulder. He stroked her back gently and she went back to what she was doing, but she stuck her adorable ass in the air as an invitation. Well, okay then. Puck slid his hands from her back to her ass and held her steady as he guided himself into her moist, wet heat. She made a low moan, but it ended up being more of a humming noise, which Finn decided was quite nice indeed. Puck slid in as deeply as he could and he was rewarded with another low moan, which made Finn moan. Rachel wriggled against him, meeting his next thrust and Puck gave an involuntary moan of his own. At some point, they traded, and Puck decided her moaning/humming/whatever she was doing was pretty damn incredible. It was weird, but they all remembered each other's noises and they just knew when somebody was getting close. Rachel had teased Puck to the point were he growled at her, and Finn teased Rachel to the point that she actually gave a whimper. They worked it out exactly right, and they finished together. Puck saw stars. He swore they were gold, and Rachel punched him in the arm. They ended up in a tangle of arms and legs. At that point, Finn didn't give a crap if his legs were touching Puck's. They all cuddled against each other. Rachel gave a happy, contented sigh. Finn and Puck each had an arm wrapped around her. At some point in the night Finn shifted wrong and fell out the bed.

"We are buying a new bed tomorrow," he muttered as he crawled back into the bed.

_A/N: I will just say that reviews=love. XD_


	6. Tying Up Loose Ends

_A/N: Thanks and much love to everybody who has favorited or story alerted this story. So sweet of all of you! There's nothing quite like an inbox full of love and it never fails to make me smile. I'm sorry that I took a little extra time before posting this chapter, but I was worried about a couple things and I wanted someone to look it over first. I mean, how could I live with myself if I disappointed you all in some grievous manner? _

"I just don't get it Kurt, how can you be okay with all of this? You aren't even mad at her?" Finn was eating lunch with Kurt at some kind funky restaurant that Kurt picked out.

"I think the problem is that you're not thinking properly about the situation because your own emotions are so tied up in everything. Rachel is an adult and has been living on her own for ten years now."

"I realize she's an adult, but you guys _lived together_ for almost three years. She's closer to you than almost anyone." Kurt gave a small smile. He felt the same way about Rachel.

"There's something I don't think you quite understand. Finn, you are used to working as part of a team for an end goal. You started out playing sports, but a band has to work like that too. In addition, I know that you live with Santana and Brittany and you guys all take care of each other. That's just what you're used to."

"Well, yeah, I guess so." In reality, it was more like Santana and Finn kept an eye on Brittany.

"It's not like that for Rachel and it never has been. Juilliard and Eastman too, are so competitive that you can't trust anyone. Your friends and even your lovers are competing with you for roles, parts, and jobs. Broadway takes that competition to the nth degree. People will turn on you in a heartbeat if they think they have a chance at a particular role. You have to appear strong and confident at all times or you'll lose out on jobs. No one is going to pat your back or hold your hand. No one is going to comfort you. I probably would have done the exact same thing in her position. She was just trying to protect herself and her career."

"That sounds awful," Finn was horrified. What kind of life was that for a person? Kurt laughed at him.

"But it can be incredible, too. To stand in front of a packed audience and have them clap for _you_? It's like nothing else in the world, Finn. It's like a drug. After a performance, it takes a while to come down off the adrenaline high. It's just a very different way of life. That is what Rachel knows and understands. You're going to have to understand that if you want to help her."

"Okay," Finn said quietly, "so what do we do?"

Kurt mused for several minutes.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Rachel was not happy. Finn and Puck had insisted on meeting Dr. Van Zandt, her primary care physician. There was an extremely frank discussion about her health, which she could have done without her boys hearing. Finn's jaw tightened through most of it. Puck just kept giving her looks. She knew they were scared and upset. She didn't really have an excuse for running her body into the ground.

"So, is one of you Rachel's boyfriend or something? We can fill out medical advocacy paperwork, just in case. I actually recommend that every single one of my patients do it, but Rachel's always evaded me in the past." Dr. Van Zandt seemed polite and they knew he actually cared about Rachel's health quite a bit. The phone call he'd made to Kurt wasn't strictly something he should have done, but he did it anyway because he was afraid for Rachel. Puck and Finn looked at each other and then looked at the doctor.

"We both are. Is there a way to have us both on there?" Puck asked.

"Is _that_ why you chose me?" Dr. Van Zandt shot a penetrating glance at Rachel who shrugged.

"Not really. It was mostly because of Olivia. She's one of your biggest cheerleaders."

"I don't understand, Rachel. Why didn't you just explain all this to me a long time ago? You had to know I would be sympathetic."

"Look, Dr. Van Zandt, Puck and I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about right now." Finn was tired of not knowing what was going on. Rachel looked at both Puck and Finn.

"I went to Eastman with Phillip…er…Dr. Van Zandt's sister, Olivia. She adores her brother and she used to tell me what a wonderful doctor he was, but she would get frustrated because some people refused to see him due to their ill-informed prejudice. When I moved to the city I made it a point to make him my doctor." Puck and Finn looked even more confused at this point. Dr. Van Zandt decided that it might be best to just state it baldly.

"I'm openly polyamorous. I live with my wife and my boyfriend and her girlfriend." Puck and Finn took a few minutes to process that information.

"Anyway," Rachel continued, "I gave your receptionist Dr. Lopez' information. She'll be keeping an eye on me in L.A. I also signed paperwork so that you two can communicate and gang up on me."

"Rachel, I hope you realize that my goal here is not to 'gang up' on you. It's hard to be a successful doctor if your patients keep dying on you," he said sarcastically. "I'm a little hurt, Rachel that you didn't trust me enough to talk to me. Are you sure you want me as your doctor? You need to be able to come to me if you need help."

"Um…Dr. Van Zandt? There wasn't anything to tell, before—but, we're not going anywhere. Believe me you'll probably get sick of seeing us." Puck had decided that they should be clear and upfront with the doctor, especially since Rachel's health was in question. Rachel gave Puck a wry smile.

"They tend to be overprotective," she murmured to Phillip who nodded. He could see that. Phillip was glad. He had known Rachel for six years and had been her doctor for about five. He was fond of her, and looked upon her as a kind of kid-sister surrogate since Olivia lived in upstate New York. Phillip had always been fond of Olivia's friend Rachel and he worried that she, like so many young women over the years trying to make it in show business, would burn herself out.

"Now if you two can make sure Rachel sticks to the plan I've outlined, she should be fine. She should probably check in with Dr. Lopez once a week to make sure she's still improving. How does that sound?" Puck and Finn nodded.

"That shouldn't be a problem at all," Puck stated.

"Good. Let's fill out the medical advocacy paperwork while you're here and then I think we're done."

*glee* *glee* *glee*

"Blaine, I can't let you do this, you have to let me pay you something." Rachel was adamant.

"Rachel, I absolutely refuse to take any money from you. It was my dad's house and I never use it. Somebody might as well get some use out of it. Besides, you're only going to be in L.A. for four months and I know you can't really afford to pay the lease on your New York apartment **and** an apartment in L.A. Just, let me do this, okay?" Blaine pleaded with her. Rachel watched Blaine for several minutes. She had always known that Blaine's family came from money. It had been the one of the few things that Kurt and Blaine ever argued about and had directly led to their break-up. She knew Blaine still loved Kurt, but they seemed to be in some kind of holding pattern. Kurt was seeing Nikolas, and he swore he was madly in love with him. _Then why does he watch Blaine's every move at any party we go to?_ Rachel shook her head. She needed to focus.

"Okay. Fine. I will let you do this because you're right. There's no way I can afford two leases at the moment. Thank you, Blaine." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He gave her a sad smile.

"It was completely selfish I promise you. Taking care of Rachel always earns me extra brownie points. By the way, I am throwing you a good-bye party at Chifou and you are coming whether you like it or not. You have a pretty good circle of friends Rachel, and they're going to miss you." Blaine hoped that Rachel considered him to be one of those friends. He liked the petite brunette and he admired her talent. The fact that she was the best friend of the love of his life may also have been a factor.

The boys took the news of a party in stride. Kurt had warned them that there might actually be several. The night of the party Finn frowned at her.

"You're not wearing that one dress, are you?" He asked after a moment.

"What one dress, Finn?"

"The one that you wore to Echelon that first night," he muttered. Puck looked at Finn.

"What did it look like," he asked warily.

"It barely came to the tops of her thighs and it was practically cut to her belly button." Finn groused. Puck's eyes widened in horror. Rachel gave a toss of her hair.

"Don't be silly. That was for club hopping with Lauren. I have just the dress. I haven't worn it yet, but it will be perfect for Blaine's party." Both boys were not reassured. Rachel rolled her eyes at them and went to go dig through her closet. The boys whirled around in surprise when the front door flew open and Kurt came into the apartment. They looked at each other. He really shouldn't do that. Someday he was going to walk in and be permanently scarred.

"Rachel! Are you seriously going to take Blaine up on his offer?" Rachel came out of the bedroom and frowned at Kurt.

"Yes, I am. He's trying to be a good friend and I'm going to let him. Let him do this, Kurt. Please, for me."

"What offer," asked Puck.

"The house in L.A. It's Blaine's house and he's letting Rachel live there rent free for four months." Kurt looked irritated.

"That seems very generous," Puck said slowly watching Kurt and Rachel.

"It's too generous," Kurt muttered bitterly.

"Kurt," Rachel said softly, touching his cheek. They shared a look and Kurt closed his eyes for a moment.

"Fine."

"Thank you," she whispered and kissed him on the cheek. She hugged him for a minute and then pulled back.

"Now. You have to find a dress for me for that party. Something absolutely fabulous," she said with a wicked grin. Kurt perked up and shot a sly glance at Puck and Finn.

"Lady Fabulous?" He asked with a matching grin.

"Exactly. Lady Fabulous." They went into her room giggling at each other. Puck and Finn looked at each other.

"That can't be good."

"Probably not."

After almost three hours Rachel came out of the bedroom with Kurt. They were both grinning. Rachel was wearing a beaded dress with a high neckline. The hemline fell to about mid-thigh, which for Rachel was pretty long. Her long brown hair was swept up into a pile of messy curls on the top of her head. Kurt had pulled a couple tendrils loose to curl around her face. Black peep-toe heels clad her tiny feet. She had her coat on already and a clutch bag in her hand.

"Come on, boys. We don't want to keep Blaine waiting. This party is in my honor and all that." She linked arms with Kurt and they laughed all the way down stairs. Puck frowned after them.

"What is she up to?"

"I have a bad feeling about this," Finn muttered.

"Really Han? Tell me all about it."

"Shut up. You know you were thinking the same thing." Puck grinned at him.

"Maybe. Come on. Let's go find out what she's up to."

Chifou had a coat check counter, but Puck and Finn hadn't worn coats so they went to talk to Blaine while Kurt and Rachel checked their coats. He was the only person they knew here aside from Kurt and Rachel. He handed them each a bottle of beer. They saluted him with their respective bottles and each took a sip.

"We're probably going to hang around you a lot tonight. I don't know anyone else here and I know Finn doesn't," Puck forewarned Blaine who laughed.

"I don't mind. I set up karaoke because I know how much Rachel loves to sing. I want this to be a fun night for her."

"So these are all people she knows?" Puck was watching the rather large group of people milling around the room.

"For the most part, yes. Can you guys please excuse me for just a minute? I need to check on something." Blaine hurried away.

Puck and Finn relaxed when they saw Rachel and Kurt making their way toward them. Rachel was stopped several times by people who obviously knew her. She would smile and nod and speak politely with whoever it was before moving on. She kept casting glances at her boys, but they just nodded at her. They could see her and she had Kurt with her. She smiled at them.

"So how do you two know our resident Ice Queen?" Puck and Finn turned to look at a bored looking man holding a drink. Finn's eyebrow rose of its own accord.

"Excuse me?" Puck wasn't sure he'd heard correctly.

"Rachel Berry, the Ice Queen. The girl who can't say yes?" Puck and Finn looked so confused that he assumed they didn't know Rachel. "Party crashers? Well, look alive darlings. This party is being held in honor of that woman right there, Rachel Berry. She's called the Ice Queen because she's the queen of the turndown. Although in that Atelier Versace she's got on, it looks like someone might get a yes."

It was at that precise moment that Rachel turned to greet a friend and Puck and Finn realized that there was no back to Rachel's gown. It went all the way down to her ass. You could see the two little dimples at the base of her spine. They both stared at the expanse of bare skin in view and neither one was able to think clearly for a moment. _That means…she's not wearing a bra._ The bored gossip saw the looks on Puck and Finn's faces and laughed.

"You can always try, but she's not called the Ice Queen for nothing."

Rachel felt a hand slid across the skin of her bare back and looked up at Puck with a slight smile on her face. His hand rested just below the base of her spine where the dress actually covered something. He nodded politely at the people who were speaking to Rachel. They stared at Puck as though he had two heads. She turned to Finn who looked slightly stunned.

"Finn?" He looked down at her. "Would you please get me a mineral water? My throat's getting dry." He nodded and absently bent down and kissed her cheek. He wandered off towards where he'd seen Blaine. It was his party, he'd know where mineral water was, right?

"Rachel? I don't believe we've met your friend here," the woman she'd been speaking to murmured faintly. Rachel smiled a wide, brilliant smile. Puck noted that it was completely fake, a show smile. He wondered if this woman realized that.

"Of course! Noah, this is Norah Bainbridge and her good friend Elise Oglethorpe. Ladies, this is Dr. Noah Puckerman." Noah nodded politely at the women. Finn appeared at Rachel's elbow with a mineral water that had a slice of lemon in it. She gave Finn a genuine smile that reached her eyes and transformed her face from pretty to beautiful. She took a small sip and then turned back to the women.

"And this gentleman?" Norah Bainbridge wasn't giving up. Rachel gave her another show smile.

"Finn, this is Norah Bainbridge and Elise Oglethorpe. Ladies, this is Finn Hudson." Finn nodded politely to both ladies. He could tell that Rachel didn't really care for them and Puck was shooting him looks. He felt pretty helpless. What could they do about it? They couldn't cart her off somewhere could they?

"Um…baby, Blaine said he had a question for you when you have a moment." Rachel looked at him in surprise.

"He did? Well, then we probably should see what he needed. I'm so sorry ladies," Rachel apologized and gave them another show smile. She practically dragged her boys across the room after her. "I can not stand that woman. Did you see the look on her face when Finn called me baby? Absolutely priceless."

"Why did she look so odd?" Puck wanted to know. Rachel shrugged.

"I have a certain reputation, which to be honest is somewhat ridiculous. I blame a certain jealous young ingénue who shall remain nameless. You boys would be thrilled I guess. I'm known for saying no. Just because I have discriminating taste does not mean I'm a nun or something." Rachel walked over to Blaine who looked at her in surprise, but smiled at her.

"Are you having fun, Rachel? I'm sorry about Norah Bainbridge, but you know I didn't really have a choice."

"Yes and Yes. What did you want to ask me Blaine?" Blaine frowned and shook his head. Rachel looked at Finn over her shoulder who gave her a half smile.

"I could tell you really didn't like her." Rachel bestowed one of her special smiles on Finn. She impulsively hugged him and kissed his cheek. Kurt joined them and grinned at Rachel.

"Sweetie, they are all in a royal tizzy. I would high five you, but it would look suspicious." Rachel had that look in her eye that had always scared her boys the most. It was her cunning plan look. A wicked grin curved her lips and Puck felt a chill go down his spine.

"Rachel, what are you up to?" Puck wanted to know what their diva was doing because with Rachel ignorance was never bliss.

"Revenge?" She looked at him with wide chocolate eyes and fluttered her lashes delicately. It gave her the appearance of innocence. Puck rolled his eyes.

"Against who?"

"A certain nameless ingénue who just can't take no for an answer," Kurt said with a smirk. Puck's eyes widened. Finn frowned for a second.

"Isn't an ingénue a girl?" Puck gave Finn a look and Finn frowned at him. Puck looked at Rachel.

"You don't want us to punch her, so you're doing it this way?" He asked just to make sure. With Rachel it was always better to verify with her rather than assume anything. Rachel giggled at him.

"Well, I hadn't considered you boys wanting to punch her. I suppose that's an amusing option." Finn and Puck both frowned at her. They didn't think it was very funny. Man, woman, three-toed sloth, they really did not want anyone trying anything with their girl. Especially when she'd made it perfectly clear that she wasn't interested. Kurt shook his head at Finn and Puck.

"You know, I'd forgotten what it was like when they were around," he murmured to Rachel with a smile, "they might be quite useful for once."

"Hey!" Puck was getting irritated. Rachel laid a hand on his arm and smiled at him.

"What he means, beloved, is that instead of getting yelled at for acting like a jealous Neanderthal tonight, I just might reward you." Rachel's eyes flared and smoldered at him. Puck started to feel uncomfortably warm. He wished she wouldn't do that, it wasn't fair. His arm slid around her waist and he pulled her against his side. Her fingers slid up his bicep, which was unfortunately covered by a suit jacket at the moment. He bent down toward her and whispered in her ear.

"Do they have a ladies' powder room here?" Rachel's face went up in flames and she smacked Puck on the arm. He grinned at her because it was such a lackluster attempt.

"No…they do not. Now behave yourself!"

"But, baby girl, you just told me to _not_ behave myself," He murmured huskily. Finn rolled his eyes at Kurt. Rachel shook her head at Puck.

"What on earth am I supposed to do with you?" Puck gave her a sweet, sexy smile.

"Love me?" Rachel huffed at him. They moved to find a cozy couch to sit on. Chifou had several groups of couches and armchairs that were grouped around the room. Rachel sat in the middle and her boys sat on either side. Kurt sat in a little chair next to the couch and Blaine came and sat in another little chair near, but not right next to Kurt.

"Where's Nikolas," Blaine asked curiously. Kurt sighed and pouted.

"Working. He apologized to Rachel." Blaine couldn't help the satisfaction that coursed through him at those words. He had Kurt all to himself. Well…as all to himself as he could possibly get with Kurt.

The five friends talked amongst themselves and caught up with one another. Puck had an arm around Rachel's shoulders and she had a tiny hand fairly high up Finn's thigh. Blaine tried to hide a small smile and failed.

"What's so funny Blaine?" Finn asked with a quick glance around the room.

"You three. You look disgustingly cute." Kurt laughed and flashed Blaine a grin.

"I know, right?"

"Rachel, darling, we are all going to miss you so much." It was that tall blond woman from the other day. Oh yes, Naomi. Rachel had become still, almost rigid between them. They exchanged a look. Finn leaned down and placed his lips against her ear.

"Her?" He breathed against her shell-like ear. The feel of his lips against her ear made her spine tingle. She nodded almost imperceptibly. Puck's arm tightened around her shoulders. Rachel stood reluctantly and she had two glowering shadows that rose with her. She air kissed Naomi and did one of those fake hugs where you barely touch the other person. Naomi clung to Rachel just a little too long and Puck and Finn glared at her. Rachel sat back down and Naomi took an empty chair next to Blaine.

"I see your two very dear friends are still with you," Naomi cooed at Rachel.

"They most likely will be for quite some time," Rachel cooed back at Naomi. Naomi's eyes widened as she took in Rachel's body language. She was relaxed and her hand was sliding back up Finn's thigh. Puck had a protective arm around her shoulders and his thumb was absently stroking the skin of her upper arm. Naomi watched the way Finn and Puck were looking at Rachel and the look in her eyes when she looked at them. _I guess she does have those kind of feelings. Just not about me._ Naomi frowned to herself and Finn leaned down to Rachel's ear again.

"Babe, if you continue to do that, I'm going to drag you off somewhere." She looked up at him with wide velvet brown eyes.

"Promise?" She whispered. Finn looked at Puck who nodded.

"Okay, Blaine, it's been fun and it's been real, but um…Rachel needs to go home. She's got an early appointment." Puck stood as he spoke. Finn stood and gave Rachel a hand.

"Blaine, will you please make sure Kurt gets home all right?" Rachel asked sweetly.

"Of course."

It was a little inconsiderate for a guest of honor to leave a party so early, but it was much easier for everyone to gossip wildly about Rachel once she was gone. Blaine and Kurt were attacked and grilled ruthlessly for information.

They all made it through the door of Rachel's apartment safely, but as soon they got in the door Finn pulled Rachel up against him and gave her a toe-curling kiss. Puck stood behind her and stared at all the bare skin in front of him for a minute. Then he started kissing and nibbling the skin on her back. He slid the dress off her shoulders and it pooled at her feet. She was wearing black silk panties, black stockings and her peep-toe heels. Puck's mouth went dry. He stroked the curve of her hips and pressed against her. She gave a soft moan and stepped out of puddle of dress at her feet. She bent and picked it up and tossed it on the back of the couch. She shot a smile at her boys.

"We wouldn't want Kurt to murder me for throwing haute couture on the floor. Now would we?"

They followed her into the bedroom. _Thank god we got a new bed_. Finn had been far less cranky and irritable since they got a California king. Her bedroom just barely contained it. Well, they spent quite a bit of time in it so she supposed it was good it was comfortable. The boys efficiently stripped her shoes and stockings off and tossed her into the bed with just the black silk panties on. Rachel smiled to herself as they shed their clothes and joined her in the bed. _Mine_. They were also feeling slightly territorial so she wasn't surprised when Puck nipped _his_ shoulder and Finn, at some later point, bit her on the other shoulder. Their hands were everywhere that night and their lips and tongues followed.

When Rachel woke up she was alone in the bed. On her pillow was a note from Finn letting both her and Puck know that he had gone to visit Kurt. She went in the bathroom and took a quick shower. She toweled off and wandered out to the kitchen naked. Puck was in the kitchen making something to eat. Probably for her. He and Finn were determined to follow Dr. Van Zandt's instructions to the letter.

"Hey Rachel, I almost have your breakfast ready. Do want to eat here or in the living room?" He looked up at Rachel and his jaw dropped. He moved to her quickly and pulled her against him. His tongue plunged into her mouth and stroked her own. His hands stroked down her back and then he was stroking her breasts. He kneaded them roughly and then Puck's teeth were nipping at her nipples. He picked her up in his arms and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She wrapped her arms his neck and frantically kissed him back. He stumbled toward her kitchen table and set her down on it for a second while he fumbled with his jeans. Rachel was busy pulling his shirt off and then had his jeans unbuttoned. As he slid into her they both gave a small moan. It was rough and it was hot and Rachel wanted more.

"Harder, please Noah," she gasped, her nails digging into his shoulders. He growled into her neck and pounded into her. When the table broke under them and they fell Puck stopped. He pulled back. Was Rachel okay? Was she hurt? She whimpered and wriggled against him.

"Don't stop! Please don't stop," she moaned against his chest.

"But baby, the table…"

"I don't care! Fuck me now!" Puck eyes widened and his jaw dropped again. Well, okay then. When Rachel came she screamed so loudly that the people next door pounded on the wall. Rachel hid her face against Puck's chest, blushing furiously. He pulled back to look at her in amazement.

"Wow, baby girl. Just…wow." He picked her up and carried her into the bathroom. They took a shower and Puck made sure that she hadn't gotten hurt when the table broke. It looked like she might end up with a bruise on her ass. They were eating breakfast in the living room when Finn came home.

"Hey! I'm sorry I left, but Kurt wanted to have lunch. I don't get to see him very much, you know?" He dropped a kiss on Rachel's brow and wandered into the kitchen. He came back out with a confused frown. "What happened to the table?"

"It broke," Puck said. Rachel blushed furiously. Finn's eyebrows climbed up his forehead.

"Is she okay?" It was the only decent thing that Finn could think to ask. He was thinking other things, but he decided that Rachel would probably smack him for most of them.

"Yeah, I think she may end up with a bruise on her ass, but other than that she'll be fine."

Finn decided it would be best if he just didn't say anything. He went back into the kitchen and made himself a sandwich. He wondered if they would have time to get a new table. They were leaving for L.A. next week. Rachel wanted to be settled in before filming was supposed to start. She was convinced that it would take time to get the house ready because it hadn't been used in several years. Blaine had had the caretaker air out the house and a housecleaning crew tidy everything and take the drop cloths off everything. Their girl wasn't leaving anything to chance. He came back out to the living room with his sandwich on a plate.

"Hey, Rach?"

"Yes, Finn?"

"Kurt said to please call him today. Something about some role he was waiting on."

"Oh! Where's my phone?" Rachel went into the kitchen to talk to Kurt. Finn just looked at Puck who gave a helpless shrug.

"She came in the kitchen naked, dude. Do you want to make a rule against her doing that?" Finn closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head.

"No. Maybe we could make a rule that she _has_ to do that? Do you think she'd go for it?" Finn looked vaguely hopeful. Puck snorted. Rachel bounced out of the kitchen with a big smile.

"He got it! He got it! This is so amazing!" She gave each boy a big hug and kiss.

"Kurt got the role he wanted?" Finn hoped so, his brother had been really nervous for a week or so. He had expected to hear much earlier, but they'd decided to do callbacks (whatever that was).

"Oh, yes. He's been cast as the lead—the role he was trying out for. This could lead to a Tony nomination!"

"That would be really good for him, right?" Puck wasn't sure how all that worked and he'd never paid attention except when Rachel won her Tony. He'd watched the whole damn thing just to make sure he didn't miss a second of seeing her.

"Yes, Noah. It would be wonderful for Kurt if this role earned him a Tony. It would be incredible for his career and it would make him really happy."

"Well good for him then."

_A/N: If you have noticed that Rachel's play "Artistic Explosion" is not a real play, and that I haven't named Kurt's role or play—then you get an eCookie (patent pending). Broadway changes out its plays on a fairly regular basis. It only made sense to me that in ten years time there would be new plays, which I don't know the names of because we haven't seen them yet. (Ooooh…time travel makes me dizzy.) I'm trying to be as logical as possible considering that a lot can happen in ten years. _


	7. Living in LA

_A/N: So we're in LA now and we're filming Rachel's play. That's supposed to take roughly four months. There is going to be some time compression. I will attempt to make sure it's evident, but if I fail to do so please let me know. _

Blaine's house was huge. Noah had been pleased that it had a study because ideally, he should be spending quite a few hours there. Part of the expectation of a sabbatical was that at the end he should be publishing a book. Finn moved his stuff from Santana and Brittany's house. There was a nice size basement and Finn set up his skins down there. The one thing that had pleased everyone was the master suite with the huge custom made bed. He was in the study, checking to see what he would need to have them send him from the university. Rachel poked her head in the study and smiled at him.

"Noah? Can you come into the living room for a minute?"

"Sure, shorty. Give me just a minute and I'll be right there." She nodded and left.

Puck went to the living room and sat next to Finn on the couch. Finn gave him a look. Oh great. Rachel had decided they needed to have a meeting. Fabulous.

"When we were in high school we all lived in different houses and you each got one official day that was yours and yours alone. We all live together now, and I think we might want to cover some things," Rachel spoke in a rush.

"You want us to have our own days again?" Puck thought about that. It might be a good idea. It would ensure that each of them got one on one time with Rachel, which was probably a very good idea. He knew that sometimes he struggled with jealousy and he knew Finn did too. For the most part, Finn and Puck weren't jealous of each other per se, it was more that every now and then they wanted one on one time. Rachel bit her lip.

"I…I guess so? I think it's good for you each to have some time that's yours alone. I know that Puck needs to make a work schedule for his research. I have a filming schedule, and you guys need to know that some days will be insane. I will basically be working 12-16 hours a day on some days and all I'm going to want to do is sleep. Finn's got a rehearsal schedule for his band, and then on the nights they have gigs he won't be done till around three a.m." Finn looked up at that point.

"That's true, but if we have an out of town gig, I won't be home at all. We usually just crash at a hotel or in the van or something." Rachel's face fell a little.

"Do you do out of town gigs a lot," she asked with concern.

"Not too often. We usually are able to get plenty of work here in L.A. because we're a pretty good band." Finn wasn't bragging or being arrogant. He was just fairly blunt and honest. He supposed it came from hanging out with Santana and Brittany so much for the last eight years.

"Well…I would like to have all of us sleep in the same bed, if that's okay with the both of you. I thought about having your day include sleeping arrangements, but then I felt bad for whoever had to sleep alone. I mean, if you guys would prefer it that way I understand, but in the past we always tried to make it as fair as possible." Rachel clasped her hands in her lap and stared at Puck and Finn. They looked at each other and shrugged.

"That sounds fine."

"I really want to keep a kosher home. I know that this mostly affects you Finn. Are you willing to live like that? You aren't Jewish, so it may seem a little weird to you, but this is very important to me." Finn was watching Rachel's face. She looked very serious and earnest. Puck gave him a look and Finn knew that it was important to the both of them. Despite his brief flirtation with religion in high school, Finn had been fairly indifferent for most of his life. They celebrated Christmas and Easter, but the Hudsons had never really gone to church.

"Yeah, Rach. I love you. I'm not leaving. If that means no bacon double cheeseburgers then that's what it means." Rachel gave him a brief smile.

"It's slightly more involved than that. The Shabbat rituals start in the home on Friday night at sundown."

"I work on Friday nights, Rachel. I can leave a little before sundown if you want." Rachel's face fell a little again.

"Well, I was hoping that you would take the Friday evening meal with us, and then go to work, but if you'd rather not I understand." Finn thought for a minute. All of the things that Rachel was trying to talk to them about were things they'd never had to cover in high school. Everything she was talking about had a focus on the long term. She really wanted this to work out, and if it did that meant that Finn should start getting used to all of this. Rachel was trying to make them a family. Finn smiled his half-smile. He looked at Rachel.

"So I can have dinner with you even if I'm not Jewish?" She frowned at him.

"Of course you can."

"Then I'll eat with you before I go on Fridays." The smile Rachel gave him was radiant and he knew had the right of it. By this time, Finn was used to belonging to families that didn't look like other people's families. He knew that didn't really matter. What mattered was the love in a home. His mom had said that and he knew she was right.

"Was that everything, Rachel," Puck asked.

"Yes, I think so. We'll have to figure out the schedule somehow. Finn won't want a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. So I'll have to go over my schedule and figure out something."

*glee* *glee* *glee*

The filming started and Rachel became extremely busy. Puck and Finn worried about the hours she was working and they insisted that she keep her weekly appointments with Santana. It was the one thing they refused to budge on, but Rachel admitted to herself that she should have expected that. If Finn and Puck thought that Rachel was in any kind of danger they became completely irrational. In those private moments when she was willing to be blunt with herself she supposed it was a fair trade. Rachel knew that she was a little diva queen who ruled over her boys with an iron fist. She didn't care for words like 'whipped' because it implied incredibly unflattering things about both herself and her boys. Instead she supposed that they had come to an unspoken compromise. They were willing to concede almost everything except for one or two points they considered non-negotiable. Her health and her safety.

Friday became the one day of the week when they knew they'd all see each other. At first, Finn was a little nervous and slightly scared of the Shabbat rituals, but when Rachel and Puck sang in Hebrew, he thought it was beautiful. They said all the blessings in Hebrew so he wasn't sure what they were saying exactly. Puck paused at one point and stared at Rachel. He blushed furiously, which Finn had never seen him do. He sang this particular blessing slowly and he stared at Rachel the entire time. By the time he had finished, he had a strange expression that Finn couldn't quite name. Rachel for her part lowered her eyes and refused to look at Puck. Finn could see that her cheeks had turned slightly pink.

Finn waited a couple of days and then approached Puck.

"So why did you get embarrassed during dinner on Friday?" Puck looked at Finn for a moment.

"That prayer or blessing or thanksgiving is usually given by the head of the house or family to his wife. Here, it starts at Proverbs 31:10." Puck tossed him a bible that Blaine's father had kept in his study. Finn read it and then looked at Puck who was blushing again. It was all about how important and special a wife was to her husband. It talked about her role in the household and the family. It specifically mentioned her children. Oh. No wonder he blushed. It wasn't anything they had sat down to discuss. In the past, Puck and Finn always felt like they were waiting for the other shoe to drop and everything would end. This was…family and children. Puck had a hard time dealing with strong emotions. Finn decided not to push any further. Puck would either get sarcastic and bitchy, or punch him.

The one and only time Finn missed the Friday night Shabbat meal was not his fault. There had been an accident on the freeway that backed up traffic for hours. Finn was actually stuck behind the accident. He knew he wasn't making it home in time so he called and left a message on Rachel's phone.

"Rach, I'm not going to be able to make it home for dinner. I'll see you when I get home from work. Love you."

He got home and fell into bed sometime around 3:30 in the morning. He knew something was wrong the next day. It wasn't that Rachel wasn't speaking to him because she did, but only when he directly asked her a question. She wouldn't look at him either. Puck came home from the synagogue later in the day. By that time, Finn was going crazy and he grabbed Puck the minute he walked in the door and dragged him to his study.

"What the hell did I do?" Puck just stared at him for minute.

"Nothing." Finn was going to start punching walls.

"Then why won't she look at me?" Finn growled. Puck sighed.

"You didn't do anything wrong. You just weren't there for the Shabbat meal. She's disappointed, dude. Friday nights have become really special to her. It's the only time we're all together."

"So what do I do?" Puck shrugged.

"Don't miss dinner?"

Finn was really proud of the fact that he did not punch Puck in the face for that one. He thought about it, but he knew it would upset Rachel. He went to the basement and played on his drums until it was time to go to work. He left by the basement entrance so that he wouldn't have to see the sad, disappointed expression on Rachel's face. This was worse than pissing her off. There wasn't anything he could do to fix it because he hadn't done anything wrong exactly. It bothered him that Rachel was disappointed in him.

When he got home at around 3:30 in the morning he got undressed and slid into bed. Puck's deep, even breathing signaled that he was deeply asleep. Rachel cuddled up against his back. She wrapped an arm around him and stroked his chest. He turned and faced her in the dark. She pulled his face to hers and pressed her lips against his. She pressed kisses all over his face. Then she cuddled against his chest. Finn stroked his hands down her back gently.

"Why wouldn't you talk to me," he asked quietly. She pressed a kiss to his chest, right where his heart was.

"Keeping the peace of Shabbat is important. You're not supposed to talk about unpleasant things." She shrugged in the circle of his arms. "Why didn't you come home?"

"There was a bad accident on the freeway. It backed up traffic for hours and I was stuck in it."

"Oh."

Rachel's hands started to wander over his chest, lightly tracing the muscles. She ran a finger slowly down his belly and Finn sucked in his breath a little. He leaned down and kissed her. He nibbled lightly, tentatively at her lips. She pressed eagerly against him and her little hands slid around his neck, pulling him closer. His tongue teased and taunted her while his hands continued to caress her back. One of her tiny hands wandered back down his belly and wrapped around him. He groaned into her mouth and she took his lower lip, nipped it lightly and sucked it gently. He rolled Rachel onto her back and settled between her thighs.

"So are you forgiving me, then?" He murmured against her neck. Her hands slid up his chest until they came to rest on his shoulders.

"There's truly nothing to forgive Finn. You did nothing wrong. Friday has just come to mean more to me than it ever has before. There are days I don't see you at all. I don't see Noah for days at a time unless I interrupt his work, and I hate doing that. His work and your work are just as important to you as mine is to me. On Friday, we all make time to be together. I look forward to it all week," she finished quietly.

Finn gathered her close and held her for several moments. He pressed gentle kisses along her brow, down her neck. He kissed her lips. She kissed him back, her tongue invading his mouth and teasing him. She wriggled against him, pressing herself against him. He made slow, sweet, beautiful love to her. He took slow, long strokes inside her and he pressed kisses against her jaw. She matched him stroke for stroke, her hips meeting his. Normally, Rachel was vocally expressive with her pleasure. This seemed different because they were both serious and quiet. Every touch, every kiss was imbued with the depth of what they felt for one another. He realized that she was trying to breathe with him so he tried to match her breathing. Being inside of Rachel always felt incredible, but this felt like incredibly intimate and special. He could feel her moving toward the end, but he was going with her. It was like they were circling closer and closer and closer until they were almost one person. He wasn't sure where Rachel ended and Finn began. Everything narrowed until it was one small point and then everything expanded and they were two separate people again. He held her in his arms and kissed her.

"I love you, Rach." He was sorry, even though he didn't have anything to apologize for.

"I know you do." She accepted his apology. "I love you too, Finn," she whispered against his shoulder. She snuggled up against him and drifted off to sleep.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Most of the people Rachel was working with had been in the play, so they were people that she knew from New York. They all got along fairly well, and they all knew their parts forwards and backwards. They'd played them for the entire run of the play after all. It made it a lot easier on the film crew, and it made shooting slightly easier than it might be for a different type of film. When the cast suggested going out together as a group, Rachel agreed to come along. It was fairly standard practice and helped build camaraderie among everyone. Everyone knew that Rachel would not go out on Friday nights, so Brandon suggested Saturday night. Someone else named a club and Rachel wrote down the name. She knew that Finn had to work that night, but maybe Puck would come along. Then Rachel snorted to herself. Once Puck realized she was going _out_ he would definitely come along. Especially if she wore some of her edgier clubbing clothes. _Hmm_.

"Noah, honey, are you busy?" Noah looked up from his research. He had his reading glasses on, which Rachel thought made him look absolutely adorable.

"I'm in the middle of something at the moment, baby girl, but what do you need?" Rachel bit her lip. She didn't want to take him away from his work.

"The cast members want to get together tonight. It sort of helps build an esprit de corps. Do you think you could come along?"

"I'm not sure. If I can get a lot of this done, then, yeah." Puck sighed as he looked at the pile of letters he still needed to read through, catalogue and take notes on.

"Okay. I'll check with you before I go." Puck nodded absently as she left the study.

Rachel went upstairs to their room and started digging in the closet. A ha! She knew she'd packed those sex on a plate boots. They were so hot, she knew they would come in handy. She threw those on the bed and started looking in her closet for the right kind of outfit for tonight. She found some black pleather pants that were skintight and a beautiful plum colored silk top that she knew would work perfectly. It had silk strings that tied behind her neck and then had a deep scoop neck. The silk fabric clung to her breasts. It had two more silk strings that tied across her back. It was basically as though she were going out with a large silk kerchief tied to her front. Her back was completely bare except for those little strings. The silk top actually complemented the pleather pants and her sexy stiletto boots. If Puck let her leave the house alone in this outfit, he was either dead or unconscious. She started humming to herself as she went into the bathroom to get ready.

It was after 10 p.m. and Rachel was ready to go. She had done her hair and make up in what she liked to think of as party/club style. It was mostly dark and smoky make up. Sexy, messy hair. She grabbed her bag and bounced downstairs.

"Noah, honey, do you think you'll be able to come along?" Rachel poked her head into the study to see Noah concentrating on what was in front of him.

"I don't think so, shorty. I just can't leave it right here, I'm at a really awkward spot. You're going out with friends, though?" Puck didn't even look up from the papers in front of him. Rachel thought for a moment.

"Yes, I know most of them from New York and there are a couple I do consider friends. They'll keep an eye me."

"Okay. You have fun. Love you." Puck was frowning at the paper in front of him. _This can't be right_. He sighed and started digging through the pile he'd already catalogued.

"I love you, too. Bye."

Rachel drove herself to the club her friends had named. They met her outside and they all went in together. Rachel ended up having a good time. She had needed this chance to unwind with her fellow cast mates. They ended up club hopping, but they carpooled, which Rachel felt pretty safe doing with her friend Chloë. Rachel had had maybe one or two drinks too many by the time they showed up at a smaller club called Iridescenz. Rachel was on the floor dancing with Eric, a fellow cast member when she felt a familiar presence. She turned around and looked up to see Finn standing there.

"Hi, baby! Is this where you're playing tonight?" She smiled up at him and slid her arms up around his neck. He frowned at her.

"It's on the calendar at home, Rachel."

"I'm not exactly sure where I am, at the moment, Finn, so you'll have to forgive me." Finn's eybrow arched up his forehead. Rachel was drunk.

"Where is Puck?"

"Research. Lots and lots of research." Rachel nodded for emphasis.

"Did he see you in _that_?" Finn gestured to her outfit.

"He didn't look up from his research. I told him I was going out. I came to tell him it was time to go and he said he couldn't come." Finn frowned darkly.

"Are you here alone?" He asked quietly. He was not going to yell at her right now. He was not.

"Oh heavens, no! I'm here with Eric!" She said this brightly and looped her arm through Eric's. Finn's expression was almost indescribable. Eric nodded at her.

"Don't forget Chloë," he added.

"Oh, yes. And Chloë."

"Right," Finn said. He whipped out his phone and took a picture of Rachel with Eric. Then he took another of the back of Rachel and Eric and texted them both to Puck. Then he called Puck.

"So is that your idea of Rachel having a safe night out," Finn bit out through clenched teeth.

"What? She's not wearing _that_ right now is she?"

"Yeah, she is. And boots Puck." Finn knew that Puck had a thing for boots. He figured that was probably why Rachel had worn them in the first place.

"I'll be right there. You're at Iridescenz, tonight, right?"

"Yup. I have to go back now. I'll just leave her with Eric." Then Finn hung up.

Puck knew Finn was pissed off at him. He grabbed his keys and ID and grabbed his car. He knew where Finn's gig was tonight so he found it with no difficulties. He found Rachel dancing with this Eric guy. She was wearing boots. He felt his jeans get tight. Those were fuck me boots. She'd probably put them on with the idea of teasing him all night, but he hadn't looked up from his work long enough to see that she'd dressed up for him. When she saw him she bounced up to him and hugged him.

"Finn sent you pics of my boots, didn't he?" She asked with a wicked grin.

"No, he just sent me a pic of you in that top and told me you had on boots too." Rachel sidled up to him and peeked up at him through her lashes.

"You know what?" She asked as she trailed her fingers up his arms.

"What?"

"I'm glad Finn sent you the pics because it made you come down here." She gave him her 'take me' smile and Puck suddenly found it hard to focus properly on anything other than her in those boots. He pulled her against him and held her there in the circle of his large muscled arms. Suddenly, there was a pretty woman with black hair and gray eyes standing next to them and looking at him suspiciously. She touched Rachel's arm. Rachel turned and smiled at the woman.

"Chloë! Are you having fun?" Chloë nodded and looked at Puck again.

"Are you _okay_, Rachel?" Her gray eyes were serious and she had a slight frown. Rachel frowned back at her for a second and then started laughing.

"Oh, Chloë! Yes. I am fabulous. This is Noah. Baby, this is my very good friend and bodyguard, Chloë Leslac." Chloë continued to frown.

"So you know this guy? You didn't meet him tonight, did you?" Her tone was concerned and Rachel smiled in genuine amusement.

"Hardly," Noah muttered.

"No, Chloë. This is _Noah_." Chloë's eyes widened. She stared at Puck for a second. He had the feeling that he was being weighed and judged somehow.

"I suppose that's okay then. Where did Eric go?" Rachel pointed to Eric who was now dancing by himself in a corner. Chloë sighed and went after him.

"I think I like her, Rachel." Puck said thoughtfully.

"You would. She guards me like pitbull." Puck frowned at Rachel.

"She's not like that Naomi who wouldn't leave you alone, is she?" Rachel laughed and shook her head at him.

"No. Chloë's just very protective of people she considers friends. She's a little aggressive, but she means well."

"Can she back it up? Because, shorty, it's dangerous to try and get involved in something if you aren't prepared."

"Yes, Noah. Chloë's got a black belt in judo. She's been taking classes since she was five."

"Well, okay then." Puck decided he definitely liked this Chloë girl. He was talking to Chloë and Eric about judo, and fighting in general when Chloë got still and started frowning. Puck immediately looked to see what was bothering her because he assumed it would have something to do with Rachel. He tried hiding a smile, but it didn't work. Chloë frowned at him.

"What? Don't you care if some creepy pervo is drooling all over Rachel?"

"Yeah, I do, but not that particular pervo. That's Finn. He's allowed to drool." _Especially when she's wearing those boots. God help me, those boots. _Chloë hmphed at him.

"Rachel and I have been friends for a while now. Probably four or five years. It took her two years to trust me enough to really talk about you two boys. And to be honest, I think that all the vodka we drank that night helped the whole process along. So let me tell you something, Noah Puckerman. You guys, whatever you have, it's different and it's weird, but it works for the three of you. For her sake, try not to fuck it up." Chloë had crossed her arms across her chest while she spoke. Puck grinned at her.

"Yes, ma'am." Chloë hmphed at him again and walked over to Rachel and Finn.

"Rachel?" Rachel turned to look at Chloë. She'd been cuddling in a corner with Finn while he was on his break. He was nuzzling her neck and making little nips near her pulse point. She nudged him and he looked up, his eyes slightly glazed over with lust. The was a black haired woman, a little taller than Rachel, but she had a fighter's stance and a certain look in her eye.

"Yes, Chloë, I know this man and no, I did not just meet him here, tonight." Finn stared at Rachel for a second and then looked at the black haired woman standing next to Rachel.

"You're Chloë? Eric mentioned you." He didn't realize that she would have such a menacing presence. That actually made him feel better. He'd seen some scary shit and heard even worse working in bars and nightclubs for the last eight years. A person could never be too careful, in his opinion.

"I am, and you are Finn." She scrutinized him so thoroughly that Finn started to feel uncomfortable. He frowned back at her and she nodded to herself.

"Rachel, I'm going to take Eric home. I'll call you later." She kissed Rachel on the cheek and left. Rachel grinned at Finn.

"You just got the Chloë stamp of approval. Well, you and Puck both did, I guess."

"I did?" Finn must have missed something. He had been pretty sure he'd paid attention, but he was confused now.

"She's super protective of me, and she never ever leaves me alone when we go out clubbing. She was friends with me when I was dating…um…never mind. Anyway, she would never leave me alone because she thought my boyfriend was a waste of space. She's leaving. It means she trusts you and Puck."

Puck wandered over to them.

"Baby, your friends are leaving. I hate to be a drag, but I really do need to go home. Kiss Finn goodbye, and let's go." Rachel gave Finn a toe-curling, soul-searing kiss.

"See you at home, Finn," She breathed in his ear. Puck clapped Finn on the shoulder and dragged Rachel out to the car.

When they got home, Puck tossed Rachel over his shoulder and carried her into the house. She was laughing so hard she ended up with the hiccups. Puck sat on the couch and sighed. She looked at him expectantly, but the effect was completely ruined when she hiccupped.

"You look so hot right now, Rachel. I want to tear your clothes off and make love to you until you can't see straight." Rachel hiccupped again.

"Okay." That sounded nice to her. She hiccupped again. Damn it. She went into the kitchen and got a glass of water. She chugged the whole glass. She stood there for a minute or two and then she smiled. She hiccupped again. Crap. Puck was watching her from the doorway. The look on her face was so cute he couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him.

"Come here, baby girl." She went to him and snuggled against his chest. He hugged her and then he kissed her. This was one of those intense, deep kisses that seemed to last forever. He pulled back and stared at her intently for several moments. She stared back. They smiled at each other. Puck kissed her again. He tangled his hands in her hair and cradled her head. He pressed kissed to her nose, eyelids, chin, lips. He gave her another deep kiss.

Puck was able to convince Rachel to take everything off, but put the boots back on. She laughed at him, but she did it. _I wonder if I could get her to do that on a regular basis._ Puck held her up and took her against the wall with her legs wrapped around him. He could feel those boots against his back with each thrust inside her. Rachel moaned into his shoulder. He heard his own moans join hers. Rachel always felt like heaven, but Rachel _and_ boots were almost too much. He was grateful when her nails dug into his shoulder and she screamed in his ear because he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out. He let himself go and shuddered against her. They slid down the wall together. She grinned up at him from the floor.

"My hiccups are gone." Puck laughed.

"Anything for you, shorty."


	8. Wrapping Up in LA

It was five a.m. when the phone rang. Finn made a groan of protest. He'd only been asleep for about an hour. He felt Rachel move next to him. Puck was swearing with skill and fluency. Finn wasn't sure what a "swiving gobshite" was, but he was definitely asking later. When he was awake. Puck shook Rachel awake and shoved her phone into her hands. Finn put a pillow over his head and tried to go back to sleep.

"Hello? Kurt?" Rachel was rubbing her eyes and yawning, stretching between the two men snuggled against her. She sat up quickly, jostling both men who groaned in unison.

"Oh my goodness! What, this morning? What an ass!" Puck and Finn both sat up at that. They could hear the fury in Rachel's voice and they knew something important was happening.

"You two have been dating for two years. I don't understand how he could do that to you." Rachel was incensed on Kurt's behalf.

"Of course, sweetie. You've got my spare. I won't be back for another month." Finn frowned to himself. What did she mean "I"? Shouldn't it be "we"? We're going back in another month? Finn frowned to himself. He hadn't really thought about that. They'd all been working on making all of this work—they hadn't really talked a lot about after L.A. He knew Rachel was going back to Broadway and he didn't want to stop her, but he'd sort of assumed he and Puck would be going with her. He didn't know about Puck's plans, either. They hadn't really had a chance to talk lately because they both had vastly different schedules. Why did he have to start worrying about this right _now_? He was exhausted and he couldn't think well at the moment. He realized that Rachel was done talking on the phone.

"Is Kurt okay," Puck asked quietly. Rachel tapped her phone against her chin.

"I think so. I wouldn't go help Finn kick anyone's ass just yet. This might be a good thing for Kurt." They couldn't really see her face in the darkness of the bedroom, but both men assumed that she had her thinking face on. Finn fell back on his pillow.

"When I'm awake, I'll call and check on him. If I need to maim that Nikolas guy, I want to do it fully rested," Finn muttered. Rachel gave a light laugh as she bent down and kissed his cheek. Finn gave a sleepy sigh and rolled over. _Poor baby_, Rachel thought. She decided to get up and take a shower. Puck followed her into the bathroom.

"So are Kurt and that Nikolas guy over?" Puck asked curiously. He watched Rachel pull out clean towels and start the shower. She frowned in concentration and then gave a quick shake of her head.

"I'm really not sure, but I hope so. Nikolas is perfectly nice, but I've always hoped that Kurt and Blaine would get back together. The problems that they had weren't about trust or love or respect. Those are the things that I think you have to have to make a relationship work and those two were so much in love. Kurt and Blaine fought about money. Blaine was trying to do too much with his money for Kurt, and Kurt felt like Blaine didn't believe in him enough to accomplish his goals without money. It was a misunderstanding." She finished quietly. Puck was confused.

"So…Blaine was spending too much money on Kurt and he got upset?" He asked slowly as though he were thinking through the question as he asked it.

"Noah, do you know what an Angel is?"

"Uh...you mean like the Angel that God sent before Moses and the Ark?" Puck wasn't sure he understood. Rachel's small smile reinforced that uneasy feeling.

"No, baby. On Broadway, an Angel is someone who helps fund productions. Blaine tried to do that with the caveat that Kurt be in the production. Kurt was furious and broke up with him." Rachel stepped into the shower and Puck joined her.

"Well, I can kind of see how Kurt would be upset," Puck said after a minute or two. Rachel nodded.

"I know. I can completely see his point of view. However, Blaine is a really good friend and I know he was only doing what he thought would be helpful for Kurt. He wasn't trying to hurt him."

Puck decided they had talked about Kurt and Blaine enough for right now. He moved closer to Rachel and slid his arms around her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He lifted her carefully and pressed her against the wall of the shower. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held on.

Finn came downstairs later in the day and after eating breakfast, wandered into Puck's study. Puck was muttering to himself and looking through a pile of papers on the desk. He saw Finn and straightened up. Finn and Rachel tried to never bother him when he was in the study. They respected his workspace and left him alone. Therefore, when either of them did come in the study it was usually important.

"What's up," Puck asked. Finn looked uncomfortable and uncertain. Puck couldn't figure out why Finn would look that way so he was confused.

"What are your plans? I mean, what are your plans for after L.A.? We're all trying to make this work, right? Or did you guys have a meeting that I slept through?" The last comment was another attempt at sarcasm. Someone should stop the boy before he hurt himself.

"I don't know, exactly. Rachel's not leaving Broadway, right?" They both snorted at the idea. Rachel was going back to New York. That was understood by both men. But…what about them? What happened now?

"So we're moving to New York. I can do that, I guess. A musician can play anywhere. Can you just move? Don't you have commitments or something?" Finn wasn't sure how all of that worked. Did Puck have a contract or something?

"Well, I'm not tenured. I'm not even on a tenure track at the moment. I managed to get a sabbatical because I pulled some major strings and got some outside funding for this project. I need to complete this project, which will probably take another six months. The good news is that after all the initial research a lot of it is drafting and writing. It may take me a year to get everything straightened out with the university, and then I'd need to find a job in New York." Puck sighed heavily. There would be a lot involved in him moving from Vermont. Fortunately, he'd been networking for a while in the New York area with the idea of moving to be closer to Rachel.

"Wait; didn't you come to talk to Rachel? You thought about this first, right?"

"Well, yeah, but I wasn't even sure she'd go for it. I didn't know she still loved us and that she'd even want us. I had no idea she had the movie thing out here in L.A. It just all happened at once." It was crazy how everything had seemed to click in place at that particular time. Puck shrugged. He had heard that truth was stranger than fiction and he supposed it to be true.

"True. So what are we going to do?" Finn asked. Puck thought for a minute.

"Call Blaine. Ask him about moving to New York. He might be able to put you in touch with people."

"Call Blaine," Finn asked. He gave Puck a look that spoke volumes. Puck grinned at him.

"Yeah. Call Blaine."

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Puck and Finn spent that last month trying to figure out how to make everything work. Finn's band knew all about Rachel, so they weren't really surprised when he said he was following her back to New York. When he'd waxed drunkenly lyrical about the fabulous Rachel, they had decided that there was no woman who could live up to all of that. Now that they had all seen Rachel, each of them privately thought that he'd failed to do her justice. Rachel was amazing and she had that certain something that some people in L.A. called star quality. Rachel was going to be somebody. They'd never seen him this happy and all of his band mates wished him well. Santana and Brittany were sad at the thought of Finn leaving them after eight years. Santana hugged him close and kissed him on the cheek.

"If you ever need anything—call me. If you fuck this up and need somewhere to live—call me. Finn? Did you hear me?" Santana was glaring at him with her hands on her hips. Finn nodded.

"Yes, Band Mommy, I heard you. I'm not in the band anymore, so I don't think you can mother me anymore." Santana rolled her eyes at him.

"You were the only reason I worried about the band, idiot. I'll still keep an eye on them, but you were the main person I watched out for." Santana ruffled Finn's hair affectionately. She was fond of Finn and she'd miss him. So many of her lesbian friends had been surprised to meet her _male _roommate. Especially when she'd been in college. He was so polite and respectful to all of Santana's friends that they would usually say something to the Latina. Santana just shrugged at them. Why wouldn't he be? Finn was a good guy. When it became Santana and Brittany and Finn, he had always been careful to give the girls their own space and privacy.

Most of Puck's arrangements were taking place by phone. One of the more unpleasant phone calls had been from his close friend, a fellow professor in Jewish Studies.

"Noah, I'm the last person to want to get into your business, but have you spoken to Hannah about this? Does she know you're planning on leaving?"

"Ben, why would I talk to Hannah about this?" Puck frowned to himself. What the hell did Hannah have to do with anything?

"Well you two are seeing each other, aren't you?" What was Ben talking about?

"Just because she and I slept together twice in a six month period does not mean we are dating. Hell, Ben, that's not your criteria for a relationship is it? Maybe we should talk."

"Knock it off, Noah. What I'm trying to tell you is that Hannah seems to be operating under the assumption that you two are a couple or something."

"Where the hell would she get that idea?" This was a joke right? Ben was just yanking his chain.

"I don't know, Noah."

Perhaps it was inevitable that Rachel should accidentally answer Puck's phone. She was waiting on a call from Kurt and she didn't look at which phone was on the kitchen counter.

"Hello," Rachel spoke into the phone.

"Who is this?" An angry female voice was on the other end.

"This is Rachel Berry. Who is this, please?" Rachel kept her tone polite because she wasn't sure who was on the other end of the line. Most of Noah's calls were from the University and this might be the chair of his department.

"This is Hannah Katz. I'd like to speak to my boyfriend, Noah."

"Excuse me?" Rachel's perfectly trained voice ripped through an octave or two and maybe a couple decibels. Puck and Finn came running and stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Rachel's face. She was glaring at Puck and her expression was so furious that he took an involuntary step back.

"I want to speak to my boyfriend Noah. This is his phone. He should be there somewhere."

"Hold on just one moment," Rachel murmured politely into the phone. She threw the phone and hit Puck square in the middle of the chest. He stood there staring at her. He wasn't sure what was happening, but whatever it was _was not good_.

"It's your girlfriend, Puckerman. You might want to answer it," She spat at him and stalked out of the kitchen. Finn stared at him like he was a stranger.

"Dude, are you _kidding me_?" Finn's voice rose a couple decibels on the end. Puck grabbed Finn's arm.

"No! Finn, wait! This chick, she's crazy. Like, Jacob-crazy. For real, Finn, you _have _to believe me." Finn stared at him for a couple more seconds. They could hear the woman yelling on the cell phone. Puck reached for the phone, but kept an arm on Finn. He held up the phone so that he and Finn could both hear her.

"Noah? Noah! Damn it, Noah, answer me right now!"

"Hannah?" Puck said slowly and carefully into the phone. "How did you get my phone number?"

"Oh! Noah! Why didn't you answer me! I was getting really upset with you."

"Hannah, answer me. How did you get my phone number?"

"Oh, that's easy. I just went through all the paperwork for your sabbatical." Finn's eyes widened and Puck grimaced.

"Why are you telling everyone that I'm your boyfriend?"

"Well, because you are, you big silly."

"Hannah, getting drunk at the departmental picnic and having sex in a gazebo does not make me your boyfriend."

"Well, there was that party at Ben's house, too." Hannah sounded petulant. She wasn't happy with Noah. He wasn't doing anything that he was supposed to be doing.

"Yeah, now that I look back on it, I'm pretty sure you put something in my drink," Puck said in annoyance.

"Oh, I did! I just wanted you to relax and not be all uptight and it worked!" Finn's eyes kept getting bigger and bigger. _This chick is fucking crazy, isn't she?_ _Well, duh. You didn't think I'd actually cheat on Rachel did you?_ Finn gave an uncomfortable shrug and Puck glared at him.

"Okay, Hannah, just so we're both perfectly clear on this I make it a point to never date girls who drug me so they can have sex with me. I am NOT your boyfriend. Stop telling people I'm your boyfriend. This has got to stop, Hannah." Puck hung up his phone. Hannah called back. Puck shut his phone off. He looked at Finn who was just staring at him.

"Can I borrow your phone? I'm going to have to call the university immediately and do damage control." Finn handed over his phone without a word.

Puck spent the next few hours on the phone with the university. He spoke to his friend Ben who suggested he file a formal complaint. He spoke to the department chair, the dean of his college and the University President. He wrote out a formal complaint and faxed it to the university. He asked Finn to write out the phone conversation he'd listened to where Hannah confessed to drugging and essentially raping him. Finn was shocked by the whole situation, but he was willing to help his friend. _This is crazier than anything they've got on TV, _Finn thought.By the time they were done they were both drained. They looked at each other.

"Rachel," They both groaned.

They took the stairs two at a time. Rachel was curled up in the middle of the bed. She wasn't crying, or at least they didn't think she was. Finn and Puck shared a look and Finn moved closer. Rachel didn't acknowledge either of them. Her eyes were red and swollen and her cheeks were tear-stained. Puck and Finn shared an unhappy look. They hated it when she cried.

"She wasn't his girlfriend, Rachel. She's crazy…like Jacob was." Finn spoke quietly, but firmly. Rachel turned her head and looked at Finn. Okay, she was listening. That was good, right?

"What do you mean," her voice was rough and strained. Both men cringed. She _must _have been sobbing quite hard; otherwise her voice wouldn't sound like that. She must have cried herself out. Great. Just Great. Finn sat cautiously on the bed. She didn't throw anything at him. That was promising. She continued to watch him. He gently stroked her arm.

"I mean I listened in. She dug through his paperwork to find his phone number. She drugged him to have sex with him and then she considered him her boyfriend. She's crazy, Rachel. I've been helping Puck file formal complaints with the college. We've been on the phone with his University this whole time."

Rachel sat up and looked from Finn to Puck. Her boys had never lied to her. They'd never even tried. The closest they'd ever managed was in the beginning when they'd been afraid to tell her that they both loved her and had agreed between themselves to share her. That was why all she had been able to do was lay in the bed and cry. The idea, the concept, that one of her boys might have lied to her—it shook her to the core because it went against everything she thought she knew. She narrowed her eyes at both of them and both boys looked incredibly upset. Rachel watched them both for a couple minutes and then she looked at Puck who looked absolutely terrified.

"I want to hear you say it," Rachel said quietly. Neither boy had ever been able to evade her or even conceal information. She considered it her own magic power. All she had to do was make them look her in the eye and they would completely spill their guts. Puck came closer and sat on the bed. He looked deeply into her beautiful velvet brown eyes.

"She is _not _my girlfriend. We have never been in a relationship. We had sex a total of twice-the second of which she had to drug me to make happen. Okay?"

Rachel watching him made him slightly nervous. She seemed to be considering his words. She bit her lip.

"I was upset, but really confused. You have always been honest with me. Both of you have. I just couldn't wrap my head around it. And…and if you could lie to me then maybe everything was…a lie." Rachel's face was incredibly sad at that thought. She looked utterly heartbroken. Both men moved closer and held her between them, cuddling her close. Finn and Puck both gently rubbed her back in small circles. She sniffled and both of them handed her a tissue. She gave a watery chuckle and blew her nose.

"I swear to you, Rachel, I would never do anything to hurt you, and that's not just because Finn would kick my ass." Puck's face was so earnest, so sincere. Rachel touched his cheek with her fingertips. She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"I know that, or I knew it, but it was the idea. I mean, how would you feel if some man were on the phone claiming to be my boyfriend?"

"I'd ask him if he liked his legs," Finn muttered before he thought, then his cheeks flushed. Puck snorted. He and Finn shared a look between them. _That guy would be lucky if we stopped with the legs_. Rachel just looked at them.

"Well, I don't know if I wanted to break her legs, but I was considering bodily harm," she said casually fiddling with the hem of her shirt.

"You were not," Puck stated flatly. Rachel's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Yes, I was."

"Rachel—," Finn started, frowning. Rachel cut him off.

"I don't want to hear it. Unless she could take Lauren all by herself, I bet I could do some serious damage." Rachel looked so fierce that Puck had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He knew if he laughed at her right now, she would never forgive him. Finn looked like he was doing something similar because he had the oddest expression on his face. Finn somehow managed to gain control of himself.

"I'm sure that you could, babe." Finn finally managed to get out. Puck nodded in agreement because he could not trust himself to say anything without a smirk, and he knew that would just piss her off. They each kissed her on the cheek. They could tell she needed a little more reassurance so they dragged her downstairs, threw an action movie on and cuddled her on the couch. Rachel gave a contented sigh and snuggled into the protective arms wrapped around her.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

It was a lot more work than Finn ever realized it might be for Puck to shift everything from Vermont to New York. Finn was basically ready to go. He was getting rid of a lot of his junk because he didn't really need it. Having a psychotic freak fixate on you was slightly useful in that it did make it easier for Puck to get good recommendations; his colleagues at the University were completely understanding of his desire to leave. Puck was still disturbed by the whole situation. He talked to Finn and they both agreed that they should keep a closer eye on Rachel. Hannah was obviously not firing on all pistons and there was no telling what she might do. Puck figured she might take out her frustrations on Rachel. He wasn't sure what type of rationale Hannah might be operating under, but she might decide that if Rachel were removed from the picture—Puck would somehow magically become her boyfriend. Finn agreed with Puck completely.

The front door slammed and Puck jumped up from his desk in the study. He was paranoid lately about every tiny noise. He was ashamed to admit that he was scared of Hannah. He could not determine how she might act in any given situation; he was terrified that Rachel might be hurt somehow. He hurried out towards the living room where the front door was located. Finn had apparently had the same thought because he joined Puck in the hall and both headed to the living room. An extremely pissed off Rachel was standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. _This can't be good._ Puck and Finn shared a look and then turned back to their girl

"Have you two lost your damn minds?" Rachel's voice was at that dangerously calm level, which both men knew was right before the screaming, throwing stuff level. _Were they supposed to answer that?_

"Baby girl, what's the matter," Puck asked finally.

"Don't you baby girl me, Noah Puckerman! I know that you and Finn spoke to Chloë. Do you know that I can't even go to the bathroom by myself?"

"And that's a bad thing?" Finn was confused. They wanted Chloë to keep an eye on Rachel. They'd explained all about Hannah and Chloë had been just as worried as they were.

"Have _you_ ever tried peeing for an audience, Finn Hudson? Let me tell you two the same thing I told Chloë. I love that you love me enough to worry about my health. I'm glad you care enough to worry about me. However, this is absolutely ridiculous. All of you have to give me enough room to breathe. I demand the right to pee in privacy."

Both men had particularly mulish expressions. They weren't going to argue with her, but they weren't going to back down either. Rachel stomped her foot at them.

"Seriously?" She threw her hands in the air and stomped all the way upstairs. Finn and Puck looked at each other. There was nothing that could make them change their minds on this issue. Back when they'd been in high school, they hadn't realized the depth of Jacob ben Israel's obsession with Rachel. As a result, she'd been attacked and almost raped. They were never letting anything like that ever happen again. Each of them had, at times, had nightmares about that time. Both of them blamed themselves that Rachel had been hurt. Rachel sulked the remaining weeks in L.A., but the boys and Chloë refused to budge. She was even more irritated when she called Kurt and found out that he'd already been briefed by Chloë and was completely unsympathetic.

"Rachel, sweetie, I am the very last person you can complain to about this. I was _there_ after the whole Jacob thing. Chloë doesn't even know about that little skeleton in your closet because your boys thought you wouldn't want them to talk about it. I know exactly where Puck and Finn are coming from on this one and I agree with them totally. Hell, if I were there I'd be going with you to the damn bathroom myself," Kurt told her matter-of-factly. She could hear the worry in his voice. The same worry she could see her boys trying to suppress in their eyes when they were around her.

"Fine! Fine! You can all just babysit me like I'm an idiot who doesn't know what she's doing," Rachel growled into the phone. All of her frustration and anger came through the line and as soon as she said it, she regretted it. She loved Kurt almost more than she loved her boys and she knew he didn't deserve to be spoken to like that.

"Rachel Barbra Berry, don't you dare take that tone with me! You know those boys are both convinced that you are possibly the smartest person on the planet. Nobody thinks you are an idiot. We all think that Hannah person is a certifiable wackadoo and we do _not_ want her anywhere near you." Kurt's tone was acerbic. He adored Rachel and the idea of some crazy woman shooting her or who knew what scared him. He wanted the filming to wrap up so that Rachel could come home where she'd be safe.

"I know, I know. I just hate this Kurt. I hate having no control over my own life," Rachel sighed into the phone. Kurt suppressed a chuckle. Rachel was a control freak and always had been. She was probably going crazy right about now. He almost pitied that Hannah person if she did try anything. Rachel was so angry she might not leave anything for her protectors to deal with.

"It's only another two weeks. I'll see you soon and I love you."

"I love you too, Kurt."

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Rachel had had it. She had tried to be patient and understanding. She knew that everyone was worried, but she was three seconds away from completely losing it. Her boys were already walking on eggshells because she threw tantrums on a daily basis. She couldn't help herself; she hated not having any control over her life. She grabbed her phone and scrolled through her contact list.

"Speak."

"Lauren? It's Rachel Berry."

"Hey, Rachel! Are you still in L.A.?"

"I am actually, and I was wondering if you were in the area."

"I am in L.A. right now. Why did you ask?"

"I'm going stir crazy. We've had a couple security issues and I thought you'd be one of the few people the boys would let me hang out with."

"The boys? Seriously? How on earth did _that_ happen?"

"It's a really long story, but yes."

"You know, I'm not surprised. You want me to come pick you up?"

"Erm…yes, but can you do it at the end of my street?"

"Easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission?"

"Maybe."

"Okay. Give me your details." Rachel gave Lauren careful directions to Blaine's street and then met her on the corner. It was the same car she'd used before. Rachel opened the door and hopped in. She stared at the bench across from Lauren and her jaw dropped open.

"Um, Lauren?"

"Yeah?"

"What the hell are _those_?" Rachel gestured to the cameramen sitting across from them.

"Did I mention they've started filming for the reality show?"

"No. No you didn't. They are going to kill me!"

"They are not," Lauren laughed at her. "Those two don't sneeze unless you've pre-approved it. Or at least, they used to be like that. I can't imagine _that_ has changed." Rachel refused to answer that. She crossed her arms over her chest and just glared at Lauren who laughed harder. The car pulled away from the curb and Rachel shot a guilty glance at Blaine's house over her shoulder.

"Where are we going?"

"I thought you would enjoy some karaoke. There's a pretty cool karaoke bar near here." Lauren gave Rachel a sly smile. Rachel brightened up at that.

"Karaoke?"

"Yeah."

The karaoke bar was a nice place. Rachel and Lauren had a lot of fun doing old songs that they remembered from high school and glee club. They hadn't been there for too long when Rachel's phone started ringing. She picked it up and glanced at the caller ID. When she blanched slightly, Lauren laughed again.

"Hello?"

"You had better be playing hide and seek somewhere in this fucking house, Rachel."

"Noah!"

"Rachel," Puck growled into the phone.

"I'm perfectly safe so there is no reason for you to be acting like this."

"Where are you?" Puck was clinging to his patience with his fingernails. Finn's jaw was clenched and he was standing next to Puck so that he could hear Rachel and know that she was safe.

"I'm with Lauren," Rachel offered weakly. "You guys have to know that I'm safe if I'm with her."

"Rachel, either tell me where you are or I call Chloë."

"NO! Please don't call her. Um, hang on," She turned to Lauren. "What's the name of this place again?"

"Revolution."

"I'm at Revolution with Lauren." She could hear Finn and Puck talking indistinctly and then Puck came back on.

"We'll be right there."

"Fine," Rachel huffed into the phone and hung up.

"How long until they're here?" Lauren asked.

"Probably less than a half an hour." Rachel frowned and started looking up songs in the karaoke book. Lauren grabbed another book and started looking through it. Finally, Rachel found it. The perfect song. It was an older one, but it said exactly what she wanted to say. She went up and wrote it down in the book. She looked at the number of people signed up ahead of her and grinned. Perfect. As soon as she was called up and began to sing, they walked in.

_Take this pink ribbon off my eyes  
I'm exposed  
And it's no big surprise  
Don't you think I know  
Exactly where I stand  
This world is forcing me  
To hold your hand  
'Cause I'm just a girl, little 'ol me  
Don't let me out of your sight  
I'm just a girl, all pretty and petite  
So don't let me have any rights_

Oh...I've had it up to here!  
The moment that I step outside  
So many reasons  
For me to run and hide  
I can't do the little things I hold so dear  
'Cause it's all those little things  
That I fear

'Cause I'm just a girl I'd rather not be  
'Cause they won't let me drive  
Late at night I'm just a girl,  
Guess I'm some kind of freak  
'Cause they all sit and stare  
With their eyes

I'm just a girl,  
Take a good look at me  
Just your typical prototype

Oh...I've had it up to here!  
Oh...am I making myself clear?  
I'm just a girl  
I'm just a girl in the world...  
That's all that you'll let me be!  
I'm just a girl, living in captivity  
Your rule of thumb  
Makes me worry some

I'm just a girl, what's my destiny?  
What I've succumbed to Is making me numb  
I'm just a girl, my apologies  
What I've become is so burdensome  
I'm just a girl, lucky me  
Twiddle-dum there's no comparison

Oh...I've had it up to!  
Oh...I've had it up to!  
Oh...I've had it up to here!

Puck and Finn were both shooting her looks that spoke volumes. They were not happy. They understood her anger and her frustration; they'd borne the brunt of it for over a week. When she was done she bounced over to Lauren. Puck and Finn followed her. Lauren gave each of them a small half-wave.

"Hey guys. What's up?" The boys each gave Lauren a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. They stared non-plussed at the cameramen. Finn's eyebrow started to slide up his forehead.

"Babe, um, Rachel?" Finn said slowly, still staring at the cameras. Rachel turned and looked at both boys and realized they were worried about the cameras. She had been at first, but she was used to them from filming and after a little while she didn't even notice them. She looked at them both and shrugged.

"I think it should be okay. We can leave if you want to." Her eyes were unreadable, but after _that_ song both men decided it might not kill them to stay for awhile. They both sighed and sat down, one on either side of Rachel. Lauren was grinning at both of them. Puck just looked at her.

"What?" His tone was irritated. It had been a long week.

"This," Lauren gestured to them. "It totally reminds me of high school, which reminds me…are you going to go, Rachel?" Rachel snuck a peak at her boys. They weren't sure what Lauren and Rachel were talking about so they both looked vaguely suspicious.

"I think so. I know Kurt really wants to go. He's dying to see what happened to everyone. Puck and Finn will come because they won't let me go alone."

Puck and Finn shared a look. They were talking about the reunion. Damn straight Rachel wasn't going by herself. They knew that a lot of guys used to think that Rachel was hot. She looked even more beautiful now. If she went by herself, every creep there would be hitting on her. They sat back and let Rachel have fun with Lauren. They each got up a couple of times and sang a few songs. Lauren gave Finn a wicked smile.

"I dare you to sing 'The Next Contestant' again," she said teasingly. Rachel glared at both Lauren and Finn.

"I have two words. Cut. Off," Rachel said firmly. Finn frowned at Rachel.

"I wasn't going to," he muttered. Her eyes narrowed dangerously at him and he spread his hands in front of him. Puck gave Rachel a sharp look and she sniffed at them both.

"Good."

Puck and Finn looked at one another. _We can not get to New York fast enough. I know, she's going to kill us both before we get there._ Rachel was wound so tightly she was a little too volatile for her boys to handle at the moment. They were counting the days until it was time to leave L.A. for New York. They knew Rachel was too.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Rachel wandered around Blaine's house. Everything had been cleaned and put away. She knew there was a maid service coming and they would put the drop cloths back on everything. She had only brought clothing and all of her luggage was packed and waiting by the front door. Finn was mostly just bringing clothes. He'd mailed his drums to Blaine. His luggage consisted of an acoustic guitar and one suitcase of clothes. Puck had mailed boxes and boxes worth of research to Blaine in New York. He had a disgustingly huge penthouse apartment and had offered to hold Puck's research until they could move into the apartment he had found for them. Rachel had known that all three of them couldn't live in her tiny one bedroom apartment. Especially right now, when Kurt was staying at her place too. She was surprised when Finn and Kurt told her that Blaine was helping them find an apartment for all of them. She'd been even more surprised when Blaine actually managed to find one. He didn't really go into details, and Rachel was afraid to ask. Usually amazing real estate opportunities in New York involved unexpected tragedies—death, etc. It was a spacious three-bedroom apartment in a rent-controlled building. Rachel had almost passed out when Blaine told her. The boys, unfamiliar with the vagaries of trying to live in New York, had no idea why she was screaming and jumping up and down and hugging and kissing them. When she told Chloë who reacted in a slightly similar manner, they realized that this was something special or unusual.

"Rachel, are you ready to go?" Puck poked his head into the kitchen. Rachel turned and gave him the first genuine smile he'd seen in a week.

"Yes, let me grab my purse."

Puck and Finn started loading the airport shuttle. It was a good thing it was a van because their girl had apparently brought half her closet with her. They knew it wasn't L.A. she wanted to leave so much as the whole situation. She hated being limited in her movements and she hated how worried everyone was about the Hannah situation. She was looking at New York as a break from all of that. Rachel locked the door and slipped the key into her purse. She'd hand it to Blaine later today. She turned and grinned at Puck and Finn who were standing in front of the shuttle waiting for her.

"Let's go."

_A/N: As always, reviews = love. Don't be afraid, it only hurts a little._


	9. Figuring Things Out

Rachel was meticulously organized. She considered it her saving grace. No one could accomplish everything she hoped to accomplish without a plan and some follow through. When she'd been in high school she had planned to have tony awards (plural) under her belt and be ready to have children at the age of 25. Looking back, she acknowledged that that _might_ have been slightly optimistic. Her personal hero, Barbra Streisand, only had one tony—a special award presented in 1970. Liza Minnelli and Patti LuPone only had two each and for each woman their two tony awards were spaced over twenty years apart. If she were honest with herself, she could see that she had accomplished a lot. She was now 28, but she had a tony award under her belt and she had done the movie for _Artistic Explosion_. She wasn't trying to be too arrogant, but it was possible that she might receive a tony award for the play and a Grammy award for the movie. There was strong talk that she was going to be nominated for a tony award for her work in _Artistic Explosion_. The Grammy nomination wouldn't be forthcoming until the movie was actually released. As far as her work was concerned, Rachel felt that she was in a good place. However, Rachel had never wanted just a career on Broadway. She had always envisioned a well-rounded life that was balanced between career and family. She considered where she was in that area. She had this amazing three bedroom apartment that Blaine found for them in a rent-controlled building. Puck and Finn were a part of her life again. They'd set up one of the bedrooms as a study for Puck to work on his research. The other bedroom had been set up as a spare bedroom for friends or family to stay in, but the more Rachel looked at that spare bedroom the more she started thinking about where she had planned to be by now.

Where did they go from here? She knew that she loved them and they both loved her. Marriage wasn't an option because she couldn't choose just one of them. However, she also knew that they were planning on staying with her for as long as she would let them—preferably forever. Her boys hadn't really broached this subject with her because they weren't exactly sure of what their status was. Boyfriends and girlfriend didn't seem quite right. They'd been that in high school. This was living together, paying bills together, and being a family. What were they? She'd carefully broached the subject with her physician. Phillip looked at her for several minutes and thought carefully before he answered her.

"What you have, Rachel, is really special and fairly uncommon. There are few heterosexual males with enough security in their own sexuality to make the decisions that both Puck and Finn have made. I think you three will need to sit down and decide for yourselves what you want to be and what you want to call yourselves. Every group is unique, with unique needs and unique desires that are peculiar to it. If you decide you want to have a special ceremony to declare yourselves to friends and family I can put you in touch with several people who would be willing to help you. I know one or two who are of Jewish heritage and might be able to help you incorporate certain elements."

A ceremony to declare themselves? Rachel chewed on that thought for weeks before declaring a family meeting. Her boys blinked at the calendar. Usually she said 'we need to talk', which the boys hated with a passion. They stared at their communal calendar, which stated in her neat script: _Family Meeting 7 p.m. Wednesday_. Then they stared at each other.

"What the hell does _that _mean?" Finn muttered.

"How the hell would I know," Puck asked.

Wednesday evening they sat down on the couch in the living room of the apartment. Rachel perched on the edge of a chair next to the couch. She had her hands clasped in her lap and she looked very serious. Both men shifted uncomfortably. When Rachel looked this serious it could prove problematic for both of them. She considered the two of them for several minutes and then she took a deep breath.

"What are we," she asked finally. Both men stared back at her in complete confusion. "I mean, the three of us, what are we?"

"Um…well, you're our girl…," Finn started but then sort of trailed off. What was she asking?

"I was your girlfriend in high school. What we have now is different. What do you two want out of this relationship? Is this a forever thing?"

"Yes." Both men said it in unison and then glanced at each other and shrugged. Well, it was. They'd tried to not love Rachel, and they'd each come to the conclusion that it couldn't be done. No matter what happened, Puck and Finn were stuck loving Rachel Berry until the day each of them died. Maybe even after.

"Because of who or what we are—marriage is not possible, but some people have chosen to have special ceremonies where they declare their relationship to their friends and family," Rachel said slowly staring at her hands. She wasn't sure how Finn or Puck would feel about that and she was a little afraid of what they might think.

"Rachel, what exactly are you saying?" Puck wasn't sure that he could think about this right now. It would hurt too much if he was wrong. She looked up at them quickly and saw both men staring at her with wide eyes. Their faces were inscrutable. Rachel took a shaky breath. It was probably best to just get this all over with.

"Would you two like to do that someday, with me? Or would you rather not? If you don't, I mean, I would understand. If we did do a ceremony we'd be telling everyone everything. Well, most everyone knew back in high school. I don't know. I just want to know what you both think." They continued to just stare at her. Finn's eyebrow was almost up to his hairline and he had that sweet half-smile on his lips.

"So, you want to not-marry us in front of everybody?" Finn finally asked. Rachel nodded shyly.

"Yes. Well, it's like a formal declaration that we are all in a relationship together and that we are all a family together and we would invite our family and friends to be a part of it." Puck and Finn seemed frozen. Her face seemed to fall a little. "You…you don't want to?"

"Rachel," Puck said after a moment, "I think we're both a little stunned. We've never really considered anything seriously because we knew we couldn't marry you."

"I never really thought about it, myself," Rachel allowed after a moment, "but if we are going to be this whatever it is—this family unit—then we have to start thinking about it."

"I want to. I would marry you if I could so…yeah. I want everyone to know that we've all chosen each other," Finn said with quiet conviction. Rachel gave a small nod and then they both looked at Puck. He blushed and cleared his throat.

"I've thought about it. After that first Shabbat…when I sang the Eshet Chayil…I thought about it a lot," Puck said carefully, thinking through what he wanted to say. "Yeah, I want everybody to know that you're ours and we're yours. No matter what's legal and what's not."

Rachel nodded carefully and looked at her hands again. Puck and Finn looked at each other uncertainly. _There's more?_ She looked up at them with her big, brown velvet eyes.

"I'm twenty-eight years old," she announced. Finn frowned at Rachel.

"Well, yeah. So are we," he said cautiously. Of course she was twenty-eight. Puck shrugged. He had no idea where this was headed. They were both still reeling from the idea of having a public display of their relationship. They had spent a great deal of high school trying to carefully conceal what they had from prying eyes.

"Yes, but I'm a woman," she added as though this meant something in particular.

"We _are_ aware of that little fact," Puck noted drily. He and Finn exchanged a look. Rachel gave a little huff of irritation. Then she took a deep breath to calm herself.

"I want to have a baby," Rachel whispered to her knees. Puck and Finn stared at her and then at each other.

"You want to do what?" Puck was quite sure he hadn't heard her properly.

"In high school, I decided that I'd be ready to start having children when I was twenty-five. I'm twenty-eight and I still want to have them. If we want to be realistic, it's something I need to start thinking about seriously."

"A baby?" Finn's voice was soft.

"What, like _now_?" Puck seemed slightly taken aback.

"You don't want children?" Rachel's voice was tinged with sadness. Puck frowned and looked at Finn. This was something they'd talked about before. Finn cleared his throat and looked earnestly at Rachel.

"He worries. He thinks he's going to be like his dad," Finn said finally. Rachel reached out and grabbed Puck's hand and then Finn's too. She waited until they were both looking at her.

"You will both be the best dads ever. You might be slightly overprotective, but wonderful, wonderful fathers. You may be as wonderful as my own dads." Her voice was quiet, but firm. Puck's eyes were suspiciously moist and he rubbed at them. He cleared his throat and Finn awkwardly patted him on the shoulder.

"She's right, Puck. You will be a great dad. I know you will," Finn added after a moment. Puck gave Finn a grateful look. Then he turned and looked at Rachel. He gave a brief nod and she knew what he was saying. She flung herself at them both and started crying. They both started patting her gently on the back.

"Rach, I thought you _wanted_ us to say yes." Finn wasn't sure why she was crying. Puck shrugged. It must be one of those girl things.

"I did. I do! I'm just really happy," she wailed into Puck's shoulder. Both men shared a look over Rachel's head.

"Okay, so how does this work, exactly?" Finn wanted to make sure he knew what Rachel was planning.

"Which one? Should we have an official ceremony first? I mean if there were a couple instead of us wouldn't they get married first?" Rachel mused aloud.

"_If_ they were as organized as you are baby girl. Half of the time the girl gets knocked up and the boy leaves her ass for greener pastures," Puck stated flatly.

"Noah!"

"What? Didn't you ever watch that Teen Mom show?" Puck was perfectly serious. He'd seen it happen at the university, too. There'd be some poor girl, big as a house, watching her ex-whatever play footsie with some cute new co-ed.

"It's kind of true, Rach," Finn said reluctantly. His experience was slightly different. He'd been playing in bars and nightclubs for the last eight years. He'd seen shit go down that you just couldn't believe if you didn't see it with your own eyes.

"I'm not really worried about either of you deciding there are greener pastures." Both men snorted at the idea. "I do think I'd like to do the ceremony first though. I want to be able to tell little whosit a nice, sweet story like my dads did for me."

"What about the whole Hannah situation?" Puck asked worriedly. She hadn't come near them yet, but he still lost a lot of sleep over Rachel's safety.

"We've been home for two months. She's never come here or called or anything. I know you worry, Noah, but we can't spend our entire lives in fear." Rachel refused to let _that creature_ ruin her life.

"I suppose not," Puck said doubtfully.

"Babe, it's not like you want to do this thing this weekend and be knocked up next weekend, is it?" Finn was concerned about the way Rachel seemed to be single-mindedly pursuing this. She smacked him on the arm.

"No! That's a really nice turn of phrase, Finn. Knocked up? Ugh. It's just that the contraceptive I'm on is really strong. I'll stop taking it immediately and it can take up to a year to get out of my system. I've had a couple friends who had to wait almost a year and a half to get pregnant. That means I'll be thirty. I'm just starting to worry about the time frame for all of this." Finn and Puck couldn't really comment on that. They had known Rachel was taking something, but they hadn't thought about how that would affect having a baby.

"I should have known, you always like to plan ahead." Puck laughed. Rachel was talking about getting pregnant a _year_ from now. Finn grinned because he knew exactly what Puck was thinking. Their girl was so organized it was almost frightening.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Lima hadn't changed much in ten years. Rachel wasn't sure what she had expected, but she was surprised at how much it looked the same. The reunion was actually a week away, but here they were. Rachel might be a control freak and high maintenance, but deep down she had a big heart. Mr. Schue had begged her dads to call her and ask for her help. So here she was about to do a charity concert with the proceeds benefitting McKinley's glee club. Puck and Finn were in the audience with her dads. Mr. Schue hadn't really aged all that much. He looked about the same. Maybe he had a little bit of gray at the temples, but she thought that made him look sort of distinguished.

"Are you ready, Rachel?" Rachel's spine snapped straight and she stood up to her full 5'3". Her chin rose imperiously.

"Of course." She said with a toss of her head. Mr. Schue hid a slight smile. Rachel hadn't changed a bit. She swept passed him in a beautiful evening gown she'd purchased to wear to the tony award ceremony. She approached the microphone confidently. It was a packed house, which meant that the glee club would receive a nice chunk of money. Rachel sang a selection of songs from her repertoire. She received a standing ovation at the end of the evening. That was definitely different from high school. Mr. Schue brought out an embarrassingly huge bouquet of roses.

"They're from Blaine," Mr. Schue whispered in her ear. A wide grin spread across Rachel's face. Blaine had always done that for Rachel and Kurt. Every time they did a show, Blaine sent flowers. She should have known he'd find out about this show somehow. She curtsied and waved. She sang two encores and then curtsied and waved again. She went to her dressing room where Puck and Finn were waiting for her.

"You were pretty amazing, babe," Finn said before he kissed her cheek.

"A packed house and a standing ovation. Is this what it's always like?" Puck asked in wonder.

"Nope. Broadway is always bigger and more intense than anything else. It's like nothing else in the world," Rachel said reverently with shining eyes. Puck laughed and kissed her on her other cheek.

"So some glee alumni wanted to get together tomorrow and have lunch. Do you think you're up for that?" Finn asked cautiously. Rachel's dads had approached Finn and Puck and told them that several of their old glee friends still lived in Lima and wanted to see them while they were in town. Rachel smiled.

"I think we should be able to do that. We're having a family dinner at your mother's house tomorrow night, Finn." Rachel said after a moment.

Rachel turned around and Puck deftly unzipped her dress. She stepped out of the gown, which Puck then laid over a chair while Rachel changed. Finn was a little bit nervous about the family dinner at his mom's house. He'd never really gone into detail with his mother about the whole situation with himself, Rachel and Puck back when he was in high school. She'd made certain assumptions and Finn had never bothered to correct her. Puck shot him a knowing look and Finn grimaced.

"Oh, and Puck, your mother called the house and we're having dinner with her and your sister the next night," Rachel said with her back to the boys. She looked over her shoulder at Puck who was staring at her open mouthed. "Baby? Zip me up?"

"But, Rachel," Puck started. He looked helplessly at Finn.

"We'll talk about it when we get back to Rachel's dads' house. C'mon, babe, we need to get you home." Finn put Rachel's coat on her shoulders. Rachel looked at both men who'd started to act oddly. She put her gown back into its garment bag and Finn took it from her. Puck grabbed her giant bouquet of roses and Rachel picked up her purse. They went out to the lobby where there was a crowd waiting for autographs. Rachel was kind and gracious and signed as many as she could, but eventually her hand started cramping. Finn and Puck made apologies to everyone and hustled Rachel out to their rental car.

Rachel's dads had them all staying in Rachel's old room. They had insisted because they rarely got to see their little girl anymore. It was difficult for Rachel to get away and while they did travel on business they only went to New York a couple times a year. It was surreal for Rachel and her boys to sleep in her old room together. Her dads hadn't changed anything—it looked exactly as it had when she was in high school. She couldn't help but feel weird. She kept thinking that Puck and Finn should be going home and then she would realize that 'home' was in New York with her. Her dads had been enthusiastic about the idea of a declaration ceremony. They suggested next June here in Lima so that everyone's family would be close enough to attend. Rachel had loved the idea and had called Kurt to discuss plans.

The next night found Finn, Rachel and Puck at the Hummel home. Kurt and Blaine had arrived the night before and they were in attendance for the family dinner. Rachel frowned slightly at Blaine who smiled smugly at her. She raised an eyebrow at him and he made a small shrug. She would speak with him later.

"So…er…mom," Finn started at one point. He stared at Burt and then at his mom and he wasn't sure what to say. Rachel looked at him oddly and Puck grimaced.

"Yes, Finn?" His mother waited expectantly. Finn shot a desperate look at Rachel who frowned at him.

"You _never_ talked to your mom?" Rachel was incredulous.

"Well…no," Finn said after a moment. Carol looked from an incredulous Rachel to a deeply embarrassed Finn. She turned to Kurt who smiled sweetly at her.

"Finn, what's going on?" Carol asked sharply.

"Mrs. Hummel, you know that Finn and I were sort of seeing each other in high school, right?" Rachel said finally after shooting a telling look at Finn.

"I suppose so. He never really said anything, but I knew there was something going on. It's just that…," Carol trailed off after a moment.

"It's just that it was always Finn and Puck and me," Rachel finished baldly. Carol nodded.

"Mom, I love Rachel—I always have—but Puck loves her, too. And she loves us both. So, um. Yeah." Finn was blushing furiously and he refused to look at his mother. Carol looked bemused. She wasn't completely shocked. She had known there was something odd going on, but she'd been afraid to ask. This wasn't quite what she had expected, but she hadn't expected anything in particular. Rachel's cheeks had turned pink, but she soldiered on.

"Mrs. Hummel, what Finn is trying to say is that he and I and Puck are all in a relationship together. We want to have a little ceremony next June to formally declare ourselves to one another and we would really love you and Mr. Hummel to attend." Burt shook his head slightly and turned to Kurt who was smiling encouragingly at Rachel.

"You knew about this, Kurt?" Burt couldn't believe that Kurt hadn't told him or Carol about any of this.

"Yes, dad. I've known about these three since junior year of high school. Blaine has too." Carole frowned at that. She looked at her son who still wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Why wouldn't you tell me, Finn?" Her voice was sad and wistful.

"I didn't tell Kurt, mom. He eavesdropped on a conversation between me and Puck. I just…I thought maybe you'd freak out about it. This isn't exactly the kind of thing that's going to make a mom super thrilled."

"I beg to differ," Carol said stiffly, "I've always tried to show you how much I love you and accept you for who you are. I always knew that there was something going on, but I could never figure out what. For a long time, I thought you and Puck might be having a relationship, but you were too embarrassed to admit it. I even tried to talk to Kurt about it. When he stopped laughing—he told me that he could guarantee that was not the case."

"I'm sorry, mom," Finn said sadly. He looked at her and he saw the disappointment he'd been afraid of—but it was disappointment that he'd refused to confide in her.

"I'm truly sorry, Mrs. Hummel. I had no idea that Finn had never spoken to you about our relationship. I hope you can forgive all of us. From this point forward, I would happy to make sure that you're kept in the loop." Rachel's face was worried and contrite. Carol could see that she was upset. She reached over and took Rachel's hand. She smiled at the petite brunette.

"I would like that."

The next night, at the Puckerman home, was slightly different. Mrs. Puckerman snorted at Puck and his little sister Sarah had a knowing smile.

"Noah, do you think I couldn't see how much you loved that little girl? I'm not stupid. She's the only one you ever introduced me or Sarah to. She's the only one you ever let watch Sarah or hang out with her. It was also pretty easy to see how much Finn was in love with her, too. But you two were never jealous around each other. You treated Finn with more respect than I've ever seen you treat another male." 

"It's true, Noah. You guys always thought I was just a kid, but I wasn't deaf or blind. You and Finn and Rachel were always together," Sarah added with a sly smile at her big brother. She was a senior at McKinley this year.

"Okay. So will you two come to this thing Rachel's planning?" Puck asked. Mrs. Puckerman smiled at Rachel who smiled gratefully back.

"I would love to. This will make Rachel my daughter-in-law and Finn my son-in-law, yes?"

"Well, not exactly, Mrs. Puckerman. We're not getting married because it would make me a bigamist. I guess I'll be your daughter-out-law and Finn can be your son-out-law." Sarah and Mrs. Puckerman laughed.

"I like it," Mrs. Puckerman said when she stopped laughing.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Finn and Puck spent the next several days in the doghouse. Rachel had been able to discuss their relationship with her dads while she was in high school, so she was less than impressed with her boys' excuses. She spent a lot of time with Kurt, Carol, Mrs. Puckerman and Sarah making plans for next June. Mrs. Puckerman was thrilled that Rachel wanted a kosher buffet for the guests. Puck's Nana was also interested in attending the ceremony. She and Puck had always had a very special relationship and he had actually talked to her about everything back when he was in high school. That mollified Rachel slightly. Kurt pointed out that he held the same sort of position in Finn's life and Rachel had to agree.

The reunion was upon them before they knew it. Quinn had arranged several events over the week. The first was a meet and greet picnic. Quinn was a perfect hostess. Her blond hair was cut into a sleek bob and she wore khaki walking shorts with a silk blouse. She gave a genuine smile to Rachel, Puck and Finn.

"Hello, glee-clubbers! Sam will be so happy to see you. He should be over by the bar-b-ques." Quinn waved vaguely toward the other end of the park. A little boy who looked quite a bit like Sam ran up and tugged on Quinn's shorts.

"Mom! Dad says he needs more buns because Kimmie dumped them all on the ground and she's crying and Dad says the food's going to burn and can you come now?" The little boy was frantically pulling on Quinn's arm. She gave a weak smile to the three of them.

"Duty calls," she murmured and let the boy drag her off toward the bar-b-ques. Rachel and her boys followed out of fascination. This was an interesting new side to Quinn and they were curious. Sam was valiantly attempting to cook a huge amount of hot dogs and hamburgers. There was a small mountain of buns laying on the ground and standing next to them was a miniature Quinn with her head thrown back and a loud wailing sound issuing forth from her wide open mouth. Quinn quickly and efficiently scooped up the toddler and began soothing her. As soon as her mother picked her up and began to cuddle her, the toddler quieted. Sam threw a grateful look toward his wife.

"Thanks, babe. Now, about the buns. Can we get anyone to get more?"

"I will," Finn volunteered. Sam glanced at him and then did a double-take.

"Finn! Hey, Puck! Wow! Now all you need is Rachel and you've got the complete set," Sam said jokingly. Rachel realized that she was sort of standing behind Puck and Finn and that, as a result, Sam didn't realize she was there. She stepped around the boys and Sam started to laugh.

"What all do you need? Just hamburger and hot dog buns, yeah?" Sam nodded.

"Get a ton of each though. Maybe a hundred or so of each kind? Quinn, honey, will you call that supply place and let them know?" Sam asked his wife.

Quinn nodded and pulled out her phone. She expertly dialed one handed while she held Kimmie in her other arm. Rachel watched Quinn talk to the restaurant supply store, jiggle her daughter and carefully steer her son away from the mountain of chip bags with a sense of wonder. Being a wife and mother seemed to make Quinn happy. Rachel wondered if she would be that comfortable in her own skin if and when she became a mother. Finn kissed Rachel on the forehead and went to go get the buns for Sam. Puck was talking companionably with Sam about football and the big Ohio State-Michigan game (the Game) coming up this fall and shared opinions about the Buckeyes' chances this year.

"So, what is this handsome little man's name?" Rachel asked with a smile for Quinn's son.

"Austin Matthew Evans, ma'am," The little boy said proudly as he stuck out his hand. Rachel hid a smile and shook it gravely.

"That is very nice name," she observed with a shy smile for Quinn.

"Thank you," Quinn said with a laugh. "I'm just glad he didn't end up with some Na'vi name. I was completely out cold when Sam named him." Quinn gave a fond glance at her husband who stuck his tongue out at her.

"Marriage appears to have really agreed with you, Quinn," Rachel said politely.

"You mean I'm not a bitch anymore. Yes, honey, I know. Mommy said a bad word. I'm sorry. I promise I'll put a dollar in the jar when we get home." Quinn apologized to her son who had gasped in horror and clapped his hand over his mouth.

"I guess so. I just meant you seemed relaxed and…happy."

"I suppose I am. Sam is a good father and a kind man, which is more than my mother ever had. He loves me and treats me with respect and I try to make sure that he knows how much I love him and I'm grateful for what we have." Quinn spoke carefully and thoughtfully.

"That's nice," Rachel said with sincerity. She supposed that it might have been amusing if Quinn had turned into some sort of failure—but she hadn't honestly expected that to happen. Rachel and Quinn were similar in their drive and focus. It only made sense that Quinn had accomplished everything she had set out to do.

"Oh my goodness! Rachel?" An excited and vaguely familiar voice called her name again. "Rachel Berry!" Rachel turned and gave a shriek.

"Mercedes!" The women hurried to one another and embraced. A handsome man was following Mercedes. He held a beautiful little boy in his arms.

"Look at you, Miss Broadway. You look beautiful. How have you been? Kurt said you wrapped up filming in L.A.?"

Mercedes and Rachel hadn't stayed as close as they might have liked, but their work kept them both very busy. Mercedes and her husband, Darrien James, were renowned gospel singers who sang in sold-out concert halls. Mercedes had found a way to combine her faith and her love of music and she was incredibly happy. She'd met her husband at the church she'd attended at college. They had been married for about five years and their beautiful little boy, Curtis, had already shown a love for music.

"Yes, the release should be this fall. What about you? What have you been up to?"

"Well, Darrien and I have a new album coming out in a couple months. We've also been asked to attend a big revival in Darrien's hometown and we plan on going to that. Darrien's mama hates it when she doesn't get to see little Curtis." Mercedes grinned fondly at the little boy asleep in his daddy's arms.

"That's wonderful, Mercedes. I am so happy for you," Rachel said earnestly.

"Darrien, honey, this is my friend Rachel. You remember me telling you about her?" Mercedes turned to her handsome husband with a smile.

"How could I forget? She started screaming when she flipped to the Tony award show and saw you accepting your award." Darrien grinned at Rachel and nodded politely to her. She smiled back. Mercedes swatted her husband on the arm.

"You hush. You're not supposed to reveal all my deep secrets. You're here to look pretty and show everyone how lucky I am." Darrien gave deep chuckle at that.

"Why is that funny?" Rachel asked curiously. Mercedes blushed.

"He tells me that he's the lucky one. That someday I'll wake up and realize I made a mistake, but it's too late because he's got me for life." Mercedes whispered with a roll of her eyes. Rachel grinned at Darrien.

"I like him, Mercedes. He's a keeper." Darrien nodded at her.

"I do my best," he said modestly, but with a wicked glint in his eye.

"Oooh. I'm gonna tell your mama on you, Darrien James." Mercedes threatened, shaking a finger at him. Rachel laughed. It was obvious that these two loved each very much. She felt a familiar presence at her back and she smiled over her shoulder at Puck and Finn. They each gave Mercedes a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. They nodded politely to Mercedes' husband, but they didn't try to shake his hand because his arms were full of sleeping toddler.

The picnic was a lot of fun, but very casual. Those alumi that had children had brought them with them. Rachel watched all the running, laughing, playing children and felt a strange pang. She'd never really worried about children before because they were already carefully noted on her schedule. She hadn't really noted when that date had passed by because she had been busy. Perhaps Kurt was right. Perhaps she had been overscheduling herself for the last few years. If she were to be brutally honest (which she usually avoided because it was generally unflattering) it had been because there was a hollowness—an emptiness—that had nothing to do with children and everything to do with the two men who were sitting next to her on the grass eating corn on the cob and laughing at some joke Sam told. Now that they were a part of her life again she had to admit certain truths to herself. She had always thought that what the three of them had was something brief, ephemeral that existed within the narrow confines of high school life, but could not survive in the real world. She had tried to live the way she thought she was supposed to and every day she just felt emptier and emptier as though a little bit of her soul sloughed off in the night. Now that she had accepted that her life just was not whole unless Puck and Finn were with her, she was ready to do all the other things she had put off or ignored. Those things hadn't mattered because she hadn't had the right people to share them with. Now she did. Rachel shook herself. What was she doing? She was supposed to be enjoying a fun afternoon, not thinking incredibly deep and slightly sad thoughts. She turned her attention to her friends and made an effort to pay attention.

Later that night Rachel clung to both of her boys in the bed. They were surprised because she had been really uncomfortable about doing anything in this room, but more than willing. They stroked her arms and back. They could both sense that something was bothering her so they tried soothing and comforting her with gentle caresses and soft kisses on her skin. Her hands were frantic and kept moving restlessly over the both of them. Rachel needed to be close to both of them. She grasped them both, one in each hand and stroked them gently. Finn moved and settled between her thighs, but Rachel kept a firm grasp on Puck. He moved so that she could wrap her lips around him. At some point, the boys traded places. She wasn't sure how they managed to do that at the same time, but there seemed to be some sort of signal they both understood. At the moment, she really didn't care. She just wanted to be as close to the both of them as she possibly could. She knew that she was almost there so she turned her attention to Finn and did everything that made him moan. She took him all the way and he made that deep groan that never failed to both turn her on and make her feel incredibly proud of herself. Puck was pounding into her and by his increasing speed she knew that he was close as well. The moans and gasps of both men pushed her over the edge and she came at the same time they did. Both men wrapped themselves securely around Rachel and each had an arm around her middle. Their forearms were touching and Rachel realized it didn't bother either of them. In high school, they'd been a lot more careful about never actually touching each other. Puck kissed her shoulder and Finn kissed her above her ear.

"Not that I'm complaining, baby girl, but what was that all about?" Puck asked quietly in the dark.

"It was the picnic. It drove home the fact that we should never have waited this long to be together. You should have come to me or I should have gone to you or something." Rachel's tone was wistful and they realized that she was imagining what they should have had.

"You can't sit around and play the 'what if' game, Rach," Finn said firmly.

"Finn's right," Puck agreed, "you can destroy yourself if you spend all your time regretting every decision you've ever made. Every choice we've made has brought us to this point. You are exactly where you wanted to be, Rachel. Be glad that we're all together. Don't worry and fret about what should have or could have happened."

Both men hugged her between them. Rachel supposed they were both right. It was better if she just enjoyed the fact that the three of them were together now. She had spoken to both Finn's mother and Puck's mother about the declaration ceremony next June. All three groups of parents were happy and excited for their children. It was more than she had ever truly considered possible. She and Finn and Puck were going to become an official family. Well, she had to admit that they were already operating as a family, but she wanted the public ceremony with all three families gathered around them. Regardless, that was a subject for a different day. She needed to get her sleep because she'd promised to have lunch with Mercedes and Tina tomorrow. She sighed and drifted off to sleep.

_A/N: I suppose I could have had either Finn's mother or Puck's mother (or both) reject our OT3 and their desire to go public. Many people who are polyamorous do have family members reject them because of their lifestyle. Some people are threatened with having their children taken from them, not because they are doing anything illicit or abusive, but because they are being raised in a multi-parental home. (Maybe we should remove all the children from homes where the grandparents or uncles and aunties co-habit because those too, are multi-parental.) It originally (In Puckleberry Finn) seemed inconceivable to me that Rachel's dads would reject her like that because they would understand what if felt like to be discriminated against for who they loved. Personally, I think that as long as the relationships are occurring among consenting adults—it shouldn't matter. I have always been flummoxed by people who feel they have the right to tell others not only who they should love, but what types of relationships those lovers are legally allowed to have. If you are not a part of the relationship, what business is it of yours? I'm sorry to have rambled a bit there and I'm getting off my soapbox now. I just knew that some people would question the validity of having everyone be completely okay with our OT3. You caught me, but I have so much planned that I wasn't sure I could fit in the angst of having one of the parents reject out OT3 and their upcoming declaration ceremony. _


	10. A Reunion to Remember

Tina Cohen-Chang had loved glee club in high school because it had given her a way to express her individuality. However, even in high school Tina's major form of self-expression had been through her clothing. She had attended an art school and majored in fashion design and now she was one of the top up and coming designers in the nation. She lived in New York City and she was able to see Kurt and Rachel on a fairly regular basis, which in their hectic, overscheduled lives ended up being every few months or so. Her first show was at the coming Fashion Week in New York and she had already sent Rachel and Kurt invitations. She grinned when she saw what Rachel had chosen to wear to their lunch. It was one of her designs and she had sent it to the petite brunette as a birthday present.

"I love your outfit, Rachel," Tina couldn't resist teasing. Rachel gave a light laugh and a toss of her loose brown curls.

"I thought it fit the occasion."

Mercedes joined them a few minutes later and the old friends spent a pleasant afternoon reminiscing and talking about high school.

"So, Tina, are you married or dating or anything?" Mercedes asked after a while. Tina shrugged.

"I really don't have a lot of free time right now. My show is the focal point of my life at the moment. I had a boyfriend and it was pretty serious for a while, but he decided he needed someone in his life who thought he was as fabulous as he did. Unfortunately, her name was Kiki and she worked in his office." Tina said flatly with a wry twist to her lips. Mercedes started giggling. Rachel's eyes were sympathetic and she gently squeezed Tina's hand.

"Was it Ian? That up and comer from Calvin Klein?" Rachel asked quietly. Tina nodded and made a face. She knew that Rachel had always hated Ian—she didn't think he treated Tina well enough.

"Kiki? It wasn't really Kiki, was it?" Mercedes managed to gasp out, which only made Rachel start to giggle. Tina's lips twitched as she tried to hold back a smile.

"It really was. It was awful because every time I tried to explain what happened everyone reacted like you. Even I can't help but giggle when I sit down and think about it." Mercedes and Rachel both felt bad but Tina's twitching lips sent them into another fit of giggles. Tina laughed with them. The women had a pleasant lunch and enjoyed the time they spent in each other's company. Rachel insisted that it was all for the best and that there was someone out there who actually deserved Tina. Mercedes and Tina both smiled fondly at Rachel. Trust Rachel Berry to decide on an optimistic track. Tina knew that Rachel would probably try to set her up on some dates, hoping that one of them would be Tina's One True Love. That was one of the good things about Rachel—she was a true friend and incredibly loyal.

At the same time, Finn and Puck joined Sam, Kurt, Blaine, Artie and Mike for a beer at a sports bar. They all sat around and traded stories about what they'd been up to for ten years. Puck and Finn had known that Sam had married Quinn and they had two children named Austin and Kimberly, but they hadn't known that Sam was an EMT. He had always enjoyed helping people and this career choice made him feel that he was doing something to make a difference in the world. Finn and Puck already knew what was going on with Kurt and with Blaine so they sort of tuned that part of the conversation out. Blaine was disgustingly happy at the moment and Finn felt it was necessary to shoot threatening glances his way. A guy shouldn't be cocky about stuff. Especially not about another guy's kid brother. Puck and Finn were surprised to learn that Artie was a high school music teacher who was currently dating a fellow teacher. There were some terrible jokes comparing Artie to Mr. Schue and his tortured romance with Ms. Pilsbury-Howell. Artie just grinned and shrugged them off. He was happy with his girlfriend, Diana Pierce, and he didn't care what his fellow glee-club alumni said. Mike had become a choreographer and he and his wife worked for the Colts' cheerleaders as their choreography team. All of the guys were absolutely fascinated by the idea of choreographing for cheerleaders. To be honest, Blaine and Kurt's questions were far more technical and had to do with the choreography, but all the guys had plenty of questions. The men didn't really drink beer—they were too busy catching up on each other's lives. Everyone was impressed by Kurt's Broadway career and his new role, but Puck's transformation shocked everyone. He was an associate professor of Jewish Studies at a respected university in Vermont. It just wasn't what anyone had ever pictured for McKinley's resident bad boy. Puck himself was convinced that both Rachel and his mentor in community college were responsible. They both believed that he was capable of amazing things and they expected him to do well. He hadn't wanted to disappoint either of them and he ended up surprising himself. He still had his Mohawk, but he wore a suit when he taught because he understood that a person needed to present a certain level of professionalism to students.

The men of glee ended up spending a very pleasant afternoon catching up with one another.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Santana and Brittany had arrived the day before the reunion dance. The evening of the dance both women joined Rachel, Puck, Finn, Kurt and Blaine for dinner at Breadstix. It was still one of Santana's favorite places and she was eating with gusto. Brittany watched her fondly with a slight smile on her lips. Finn looked at Rachel and then turned to Santana.

"We're gonna do a thing next summer, June. Can you come?" Finn looked slightly anxious as he waited. Santana stared at him for a moment and then looked toward Rachel.

"A thing?"

"A declaration ceremony," Rachel clarified. Santana's eyes widened in surprise.

"Of course we'll come. Send my office the dates and I'll make sure I mark them." She grinned wickedly at Rachel. "So you're going to make them into honest men at last?"

"Oh! For heaven's sake!" Rachel threw her napkin at Santana. Kurt chuckled.

"Rachel, honey, I think that's what everybody thinks. It's about time." Rachel stuck out her tongue at him.

"I'm so sorry that we didn't all do what everyone expected us to do when you expected us to do it. Shame on the three of us for experiencing a little of life and spreading our wings a bit," Rachel huffed dramatically at Kurt.

"It's okay, Rachel. We forgive you," Brittany said brightly from her place next to Santana. Everyone bit back a smile.

"Anyway," Blaine said with an eye on the time, "we should probably all go and change. The dance is supposed to start in an hour and a half."

Rachel, Finn, and Puck headed back to her dads' place to get ready. The boys both insisted that tuxes were not necessary for a reunion dance. They wore dark suits instead. Rachel wore an aquamarine cocktail dress that Tina had designed. It was over a year old, but no one here had ever seen it and she knew she looked good in it. Puck and Finn both looked incredibly handsome in their suits. Rachel eyed them with a proprietary smile. Puck and Finn both thought Rachel looked hot. Her dress made her golden skin seem to gleam and her chocolate eyes shone with happiness. They each kissed her, but their kisses left her slightly breathless. She smacked them both on the arm.

"You two stop that. We have to go to this thing. Everyone's expecting us." Rachel admonished them sternly.

"Yes ma'am," they said in unison with angelic smiles. Rachel raised her eyes toward the ceiling.

"God grant me the strength," she muttered.

They drove to the high school and headed toward the dance. Everyone was there—all their fellow glee clubbers. Lauren showed up with the wannabe wrestler named Jake. Rachel raised an eyebrow and Lauren gave her a wicked grin. The three of them were enjoying themselves immensely. All of their friends gathered as a group and talked and danced together. They were all having so much fun that they didn't notice a figure moving along the wall, keeping to the shadows. She watched them all with a bitter expression. Her fingers tightened on the gun she clutched in the folds of her skirt. _This was all his fault. If only he had done what he was supposed to do. He had no one to blame for this but himself._

"Noah," she called when she got closer to their group. He whirled around quickly and stared at her in horror.

"Hannah," Puck whispered growing pale. Finn looked up sharply and gasped when he saw Hannah holding a gun. He looked to Puck and realized that he was focused completely and solely on Rachel who was standing with Lauren. Hannah's arm came up with the gun in her hand. Everything seemed to happening in slow motion and it all seemed so surreal, like one of the thousands of dreams they had each had about Hannah. Finn realized with dawning horror that Hannah wasn't pointing the gun at Rachel, she was pointing the gun at Puck. Puck, for his part, hadn't noticed that Hannah wasn't pointing the gun at Rachel because he was still keeping an eye on her position in relation to Hannah. At that point, all Finn could think about was that _Noah_ was in danger. His best friend in the world, the person he loved most in the world after Rachel, was in mortal danger. Finn started to move towards Puck almost at the same time as Hannah fired her gun. He flung himself at Puck and he felt the bullet rip into his flesh. After that, it was difficult to concentrate. Puck was holding him and yelling at him not to die damn it. Rachel was holding his head and crying. Or wait, was Puck _crying_? Then Sam was there and he started doing stuff that hurt, but Finn trusted Sam. He was a good guy. He knew what he was doing, right? Ow! That really hurt. Finn closed his eyes and started drifting.

"Sam, is he okay?" Puck's voice was ragged with fear and stress. Sam looked up at Puck and Rachel and saw how terrified they both were. He tried to smile reassuringly, but they didn't look convinced.

"The bullet hit him in the upper chest. I can't tell just yet, but I think it may have missed any vital organs, which is very good. We have to get him to the hospital now though."

The doors to the gym burst open and the ambulance team hurried in with their gurney. They quickly and efficiently shifted Finn onto it and took him out of the reunion dance. Rachel and Puck hurried out of the gym after them. Rachel was clinging to Puck's arm and she was gasping for air. Her lungs felt wrong, like she couldn't get enough air into them. Puck wrapped an arm around her and hurried her to their rental car. The ride to the hospital was agonizing for Puck and Rachel. _Why the hell did he do that_? _What the hell had he been thinking_?

"He loves you. I don't think he was thinking. He saw you in danger and he just reacted." Rachel choked out through her tears. Puck realized with chagrin that he had actually spoken aloud. He drove faster. Finn had better not die on them, or Puck would have to kick his ass.

Waiting in the hospital was horrible. It was worse than when Rachel had been attacked because then they had known that she was alive. Puck held Rachel against his chest and stared at the Emergency Room doors with haunted eyes. Carol, Burt, Kurt and Blaine joined them shortly. Santana and Brittany showed up a little later. Mrs. Puckerman came with Sarah and Rachel's dads. They all sat together waiting to hear news. After what seemed an eternity, a harried doctor came out.

"Are you the family for Finn Hudson?" Rachel and Puck stood.

"We've signed medical advocacy papers for Finn. I've got his primary care provider's information right here," Puck said pulling a card out of his wallet. Rachel stared at him for a moment. She hadn't realized that Puck had all of this information on him.

"Oh good! You don't know how often I wished everybody did that. Okay, so Finn is still critical, but he's stable. We got the bullet out and stitched him up. I want to keep him here overnight for observation. It's possible that we missed something—with bullets sometimes things can slip by you." Rachel watched the doctor's lips move but she couldn't hear anything he said. All she could hear was a roaring sound in her ears. Puck's arm around her was the only thing keeping her upright. Rachel's eyes rolled back into her head and she fainted. Puck caught her before she hit the floor. He swung her up into his arms and looked at the doctor.

"Huh. Must be shock due to trauma. Follow me." The doctor turned and went back through the Emergency Room doors. Puck followed. The doctor had Puck lay Rachel into a bed next to Finn. _Holy God_. Finn looked like shit. He sat between them and held each of their hands. After several minutes, Rachel stirred on her bed. Her eyelids fluttered open and she stared at Puck.

"Hey, baby girl. You kind of scared me there for minute," Puck murmured huskily. He carefully stroked her cheek.

"Noah," Rachel whispered. "Is he okay?"

"For now, yeah. He's stable, but critical." Rachel sat up and looked over at Finn. She blanched slightly.

"Are you _sure_, Noah?" Her voice was shaky.

"It'll be okay, shorty. I promise." Puck hoped that Finn didn't make him a liar because that would suck.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Finn blinked his eyes slowly and stared at the ceiling. This was _not_ Rachel's room at her dads' house. Then he realized that it didn't matter where he was because everything hurt. He must have made a noise or something because instantly there was a nurse at his side. She smiled gently.

"Finn? Hi, I work with your mom Carol. My name is Maggie and I'm your nurse this morning." She deftly changed out his IV bag and after a couple of minutes the pain was just a dull ache. Finn tried clearing his throat, but that hurt too because it used muscles in his upper chest.

"Rach? Puck?" Maggie turned to him again with her gentle smile.

"They've been waiting all night in the waiting room. I'll go get them right now."

Then Rachel and Puck were there. Rachel was clutching his hand to her chest and crying. Puck was unashamedly crying and holding his other hand. Finn frowned at both of them and they stopped. Rachel stroked his brow.

"What is it, Finn?"

"Hannah?" Rachel flinched, but kept a hold of his hand. She looked to Puck who shifted in his chair.

"Uh…I guess Lauren sort of tackled her and started beating her head into the floor. Quinn got the gun and held it for the cops. When the police got there they pried Lauren off of Hannah and took her to jail. She's still in jail. Right now she's being charged with attempted murder. I think they're trying to come up with some other stuff, too." Puck spoke quietly. Finn nodded when he was done. Good. She couldn't hurt _his _people anymore.

"We won't let her hurt you anymore, Finn," Rachel whispered stroking his brow. Finn frowned again and shook his head.

"She wasn't after me. She was trying to shoot Puck." Rachel and Puck stared at him for a moment. "She was aiming at you, dude. Not at Rachel."

"I still can't figure out why the hell you'd take a bullet for me," Puck muttered ducking his head.

"I love you, dumbass," Finn croaked out. Puck rolled his eyes at Finn. "Besides, Rachel would've had a fit if Hannah'd shot you." Rachel glared at him.

"Do you think I'm not having a fit because she shot you instead?" Rachel's voice started rising. Puck shook his head at her and she took several deep shuddering breaths to calm herself down.

"We love you too, Finn. And we're pretty pissed off and upset that you've been shot. I think we're slightly happier that you're not critical anymore. Your mom and Burt want to come in and see you. Is that okay?" Puck spoke calmly. He wanted to hug Finn and then thump him for doing all this, but he knew that was not possible right now. Finn nodded. Okay then. Puck stood up and Rachel stood too. She stroked his brow again and leaned down and kissed him lightly on the lips. He raised a hand and held her there for a moment, increasing the pressure of the kiss.

"I love you, Finn Hudson. Don't you dare die on me," she whispered in his ear. He started to laugh, but then grimaced because that hurt too much. Rachel's eyes started to well up with tears again. Puck put an arm around her and held her against his side.

"He'll be okay. I promise. If he doesn't get better I'll kick his ass myself," Puck murmured in her hair. Rachel pulled back and glared at him.

"Noah Puckerman! You had better not!" She huffed at him. Puck smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

"C'mon Rachel. Carol really wants to see her son. Let's give her a chance to visit with him." Rachel followed Puck out of the room, but cast a worried glance over her shoulder. Finn grinned cheekily at her.

Carol and Burt came into the room and Carol hurried to his side. She touched his forehead with the back of her hand, touched his check and checked the pulse in his wrist. Finn smiled wryly at his mom and then at Burt.

"I'm fine, mom," he croaked at her.

"Fine, my ass! You were shot, Finn!" All of Carol's love and fear came out all mixed together in her voice.

"She's been worried about you," Burt said quietly. Finn knew that Burt had also been worried about him, but he wasn't sure if he had the right to say that. They had always had a cautious and careful relationship. Burt respected the memory of Finn's dad and Finn respected Kurt's relationship with his father.

"Of course I have! You are never allowed to do this ever again." Carol's eyes shone with unshed tears. She blinked them back and squeezed his hand. He squeezed back and gave her a cheeky smile.

"Sure mom. I'll make sure no one ever shoots me ever again." He wasn't sure there was a way to control stuff like that. He somehow doubted it. Carol growled at him. He blinked. His mom had never growled at him. Maybe it was the worry? He glanced at Burt who looked sort of surprised as well. Then again, Finn had never been shot before so how could he really say how his mom would act in that instance. He hadn't realized she would be so protective, but he guessed that he should have known better.

After his mom, Kurt and Blaine had visited him. Then Santana and Brittany. They both cried and Santana threatened him in a similar manner to both his mom and Rachel. He grinned at her and she got angry.

"What's so funny?" Santana balled her hands into fists on her hips.

"I never realized how many people loved me until I got shot," Finn croaked out at her. Santana rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the air.

"Did you hit your head or something? Of course, we all love you!" Santana exclaimed in exasperation.

"You're my friend, Finn. I love you like I love Cap'n Crunch Berries," Brittany added with a gentle squeeze for Finn's hand. Santana shook her head at Brittany. Finn smiled at Brittany. He knew how much she loved Cap'n Crunch Berries. Part of his job had been to make sure it was in stock in Santana's kitchen.

"I feel the same way about you, Britt," Finn said and Brittany beamed at him.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Finn got better slowly, but surely. Rachel hovered over him and Puck had to step in occasionally to tone her down a little, but for the most part he was worried enough to allow Rachel free reign. It took an extra couple weeks before Finn was pronounced flight ready by the doctor. Rachel and Puck didn't worry because neither of them had anything incredibly pressing at the moment. They got Finn to their apartment safely enough, but by the time they did he was exhausted and he ended up taking a nap.

"Should we call Dr. Van Zandt?" Rachel was fretting in the living room, wringing her hands.

"Shorty, he's fine. It's just been a long day. You already scheduled an appointment with Dr. Van Zandt for later in the week. Don't worry so much." Puck stroked her hair gently. "I have to go out for a bit. I have an appointment at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. This might be perfect for us," he added hopefully. Rachel nodded and kissed him on the cheek.

"Good luck, Noah."

"Thanks, shorty."

Rachel puttered around the apartment and went and checked on Finn. He was resting peacefully. Rachel brushed his bangs off his forehead and kissed him gently. She pulled back and saw that Finn was watching her.

"Hey," he said softly. He reached up and touched her cheek. She leaned into his hand.

"How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine. Don't worry so much, Rachel."

"I can't help it," Rachel said in a small voice. Having Finn get shot, being that close to losing him had scared her more than anything else in her life.

"Rachel, I'm not going anywhere. I promise. You're stuck with me whether you like it or not." Finn teased her gently. Rachel stroked his hair again.

"I wouldn't want it any other way," she said softly. Her chocolate brown eyes were filled with love for him and he swallowed at the intensity of her gaze. He pulled her head down and kissed her hungrily. He'd missed her. Everyone had been careful around him for weeks. He had gotten really tired of being treated like glass. Rachel gave a sound of surprise, but she kissed him back eagerly. His fingers closed around all that lustrous chocolate hair and he kissed her until he got dizzy. He laid back on the pillows panting slightly and Rachel gazed at him, bemused and slightly worried.

"Are you okay?" She asked softly. "Maybe I shouldn't have kissed you back?" Finn growled at her. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Rachel, I'm fine! I have to be careful, but kissing you is not going to kill me." He hit the blankets with his left hand in frustration. 

"I suppose not," she agreed with a slight smile. She crawled into their bed with him and proceeded to kiss him senseless. She made sure not to jostle him too much because even while his lips moved against hers she worried about hurting him. His hands stroked her back and slid up to tangle in her hair. She caressed him with feather-light touches of her hands on his shoulders and chest. She made sure to stay strictly to the left side of his body and away from the injured area.

When Puck came home he had a huge grin on his face. He picked Rachel up and whirled her around the kitchen where she'd been making soup for Finn. She laughed breathlessly and hung on to his broad shoulders.

"Noah! Stop, put me down!" Puck placed her gently down and kissed her hard on the mouth.

"I got it, Rachel." He was proud of himself, she could see that easily.

"The job at the Museum of Jewish Heritage?"

"Yeah. I'm going to be working under the curator. This could lead to some pretty important work, Rachel. I'll have access to special collections held by the museum and it could lead to work at other museums." Puck was like a little boy he was so excited and happy. Rachel hugged him.

"I am so proud of you, Noah! Let's go tell Finn and then we'll call your mom and your Nana." Rachel linked her arm through his and dragged him into the bedroom. Finn was happy and excited for Noah. Noah's mother was really proud of him, but his Nana cried into the phone she was so happy. She told him was a good and noble thing he was doing and that if his grandfather were still alive he would be proud too. Puck had never before been in this position. He was being inundated with love and pride from all the people he cared most about. It was a weird feeling, but he liked it and he was pretty sure he could get used to it.

Later that evening, after Finn fell asleep, Rachel dragged Puck into the spare bedroom to show him how proud of him she really was. She didn't want to wake Finn and she didn't want him to strain himself or hurt himself in anyway. That and she thought it was plain mean to do things in front of him that he couldn't participate in at the moment. Puck wholeheartedly agreed with her on all counts, but he couldn't help the fact that he wanted her. Puck's large muscled arms wrapped around her and he pressed fevered kisses along her jaw and down her neck. She tugged his suit jacket off and started unbuttoning his shirt. She pressed kisses along his collarbone and he started unzipping and unbuttoning things on Rachel. Puck kissed her ankles and slowly worked his way up her legs. He nipped the backs of her knees, which always excited Rachel. She gave a breathy gasp and twitched beneath him. He chuckled against her inner thigh. Puck gently stroked the silken skin of her inner thighs. He nibbled his way up to the tune of Rachel's moans and sighs. He loved all of her sounds. Rachel tugged on his hair and pulled him up to kiss her again. His tongue invaded her mouth and entwined with hers. Her hands slid up his back and she held onto his shoulders. Puck pulled back and grinned at her. He knew that one of her favorite positions was Indra's wife. He grabbed her ankles and set them against his shoulders. Then he slowly and carefully entered her. Rachel gave a low moan of pleasure and Puck closed his eyes for a second. She felt like heaven, just like she always did. He turned his head and kissed one of her ankles. She wriggled against him impatiently. He pressed into her more deeply and she gave another moan of pleasure. That was why she loved Indra's wife so much. It made each stroke incredibly deep and he could hit all the right spots at all the right times. Their girl was a naughty, naughty minx. Finn had better hurry up and get better or she just might kill him. Puck moved slowly and purposefully insider her. She gave an impatient whimper and he just grinned at her. He was going to take his time and she was just going to have to deal with it. She moved against him and he had to bite the inside his cheek. He gave her right butt check a light slap and her eyes burned into him. She threw back her head and gave a short sigh, which turned into a moan as he thrust into her. Her moans and gasps spurred him on and his thrusts became deeper and faster until she screamed into a pillow that she grabbed at the last minute. Puck gave a groan and let go. He fell down onto the bed and pulled Rachel to him for a kiss. She kissed him back, but then pulled away. She dragged Puck to the bathroom for a shower where he couldn't help taking her again up against the wall. She bit his shoulder, which surprised him but he found he liked it. They toweled off and slid into bed next to Finn. He mumbled in his sleep and Rachel pressed a couple kisses against his brow. Then she snuggled into bed between both of her boys. Puck wrapped himself around her and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. Rachel threw one leg over Finn and sighed contentedly.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Dr. Van Zandt proclaimed Finn to be officially doing quite well. He gave Finn a list of positions that would put the least amount of stress on his healing wound. He patiently answered all of Rachel's worried questions. Finally, he had put to rest all of her fears and concerns and they were able to leave. Rachel called Carol, Kurt and Santana to let them know the news. Then she called her dads and Puck's mom.

"This is getting exhausting you guys," Rachel said when she was done.

"Why don't you just do some status updates? That way everyone else will know what's going on. Just tell them that all the phone calls hurt your throat. Everybody knows how picky you are about your throat." Puck's argument made a lot of sense.

"Rach, he's right. Calling twenty-five people every time I sneeze is getting a little ridiculous." Finn added after a moment. Rachel thought about it briefly. Very briefly.

"That sounds great to me." Rachel typed briefly into her phone. "There. I feel much better."

"Good. Now let's go get something to eat." Finn was starving to death. All Rachel wanted him to eat was oatmeal and soup. Puck gave him a sympathetic glance and steered him to a corner hot dog stand. Finally! Real food. Rachel watched them with a disgusted expression, but she didn't say anything. She might make comments to her boys every now and then, but for the most part Rachel felt that being vegan was a personal choice that had to be made by the individual. She knew that Puck and Finn were unabashed omnivores and that was unlikely to change anytime soon. At least they had both agreed to keep a kosher home with her and that was what truly counted. Puck had managed to find a kosher hot dog stand with all beef dogs—trust her Puck to have an internal map of kosher hot dog stands.

Rachel glanced at her phone and smiled. She had a ton of messages from all of their friends. Quinn and Sam sent their well wishes. Mercedes said that she would be praying for Finn's speedy recovery. Lauren offered to put Hannah in a headlock. Again. Artie and Mike both sent messages saying that Finn would be in their thoughts. Tina wanted to know if Rachel wanted to reschedule their lunch scheduled for the day after tomorrow at Bernard's. Rachel messaged her back and let her know that their lunch date should be fine. The boys joined her after they both consumed a frightening number of hot dogs. Rachel shook her head at the both of them.

"You two. I can't take you anywhere." They both grinned at her.

They were on their way back to the apartment when Rachel's phone rang.

"Hello? Margaret?" Margaret was Rachel's manager. Both Finn and Puck had been introduced to her. Margaret's eyebrows looked like they might disappear into her hairline, but she never said a word. After she saw the way the boys treated Rachel she still didn't say a word, but she always treated both men with respect and dignity. Rachel knew that Margaret liked them.

"Rachel, darling, I've gotten word from the studio. They're going to do the New York premiere first. I'm going to send you all the information, okay?"

"When?"

"In a few weeks, but I'll send you everything—all the details. Are you going to bring the boys?" Margaret asked cautiously. Rachel felt a slight pang. Was Margaret going to say something?

"Yes. Why?"

"Oh, good. I was worried you wouldn't. All right then. Come see me tomorrow at my office? 2:00 p.m. See you then."

"Very good, thank you Margaret." Rachel was brisk and efficient as always. Margaret had a small smile as she hung up with Rachel. She would never, ever tell her, but Rachel was one of Margaret's favorites. That girl had more heart and more drive than any ten people Margaret worked with.

"What's up shorty?"

"They've set the premiere date for _Artistic Explosion_ in New York. It'll be in a month. Will you two come with me?" Both men snorted.

"We don't really have a choice, do we?" Puck asked.

"I suppose not, but I like to give you that impression," Rachel said with a cheeky grin. Both men just gave her a look. Then Rachel looked at them seriously with her wide chocolate eyes and bit her lip. She looked vulnerable and nervous. "You will go with me, right? This is my first movie premiere."

"Yeah, we'll go with you," Puck said finally after staring at her mouth for a moment. He had been considering whether or not their girl was some type of diabolical evil genius. Then he decided he didn't care.

"Wait a minute, your _first_ movie premiere? Are you planning on lots of others?" Finn wanted to know.

"Well you never know. Barbra Streisand had a very impressive movie career." Rachel said solemnly. Rachel wondered if Tina could put together a dress for her in a month. Hmm. She might need to message her. And Kurt. He always helped her with situations like this. The wheels in Rachel's mind started spinning wildly.


	11. Premieres and Surprises

The New York premiere of _Artistic Explosion_ opened to rave critical reviews. Rachel was the darling of the red carpet in a beautiful one-of-a-kind piece by Tina. Puck and Finn hovered protectively in the background and were mistaken for bodyguards several times. Margaret beamed at both men and shook their hands enthusiastically.

"I'm so glad to see you both here. How is she doing?"

"Having the time of her life, I think," Puck said with a wry smile.

Rachel was finally getting all the attention she'd always thought she deserved. However, Puck noticed that this might be one of those 'be careful what you wish for' sorts of moments. Rachel's smile was one of those fake show smiles. She was smiling for the cameras, but she wasn't actually happy. Finn noticed that Rachel's eyes looked tight and strained. He moved closer to her and touched her elbow. She glanced briefly up at him and allowed him to move her further down the red carpet. They moved into the theater and took their seats to watch the movie. Puck and Finn had never actually seen the movie so they were interested to see it. Three hours later they were both sitting on either side of Rachel with their jaws hanging slightly open. Rachel laughed softly and patted them both on the knee. They both turned and looked at her with identical expressions.

"Seriously? Boys, you have to realize that this is performance art. People aren't watching this just to see me naked." Oops. That was apparently the wrong thing to say. Finn appeared to be turning purple. She gave a heavy sigh and sent them both a look. Finn's jaw tightened and Puck looked ready to punch everyone in the theater.

"Rachel," Puck started, but then he couldn't say anything else. What could he say? He could see that she was getting pissed off, but he was fighting to control himself and he knew that Finn was three seconds from going completely ballistic. Rachel's chocolate eyes narrowed dangerously and she glared at her boys.

"Don't you _dare_ ruin this night for me, or you two will be sharing the spare bedroom for the foreseeable future," Rachel hissed quietly at the both of them. Both men looked at each other and exchanged unhappy looks. The rest of the evening passed in an unpleasant blur. Any man and most of the women who approached Rachel received menacing looks from Finn and Puck, which reinforced the perception that they were bodyguards. Rachel knew her boys were absolutely miserable so she tried to keep her temper. She knew that certain aspects of _Artistic Explosion_ had come as a surprise to the boys, but truly all of the nudity was integral to the plot and not done for shock value. It had never occurred to her that those scenes would upset her boys. She had performed those scenes so many times during the run of the play that she didn't even think about it anymore. The actor playing opposite her, Eric, was 100% gay and proud of it. She might as well have performed the scene with Kurt. In fact, Kurt had probably seen more of her over the years, but she probably shouldn't mention that. It wasn't as though she were actually doing anything—it was all acting.

The L.A. premiere and the London premiere went slightly better, but that may have been because Rachel insisted that Kurt go with her instead of her boys. Puck couldn't really leave his new job because he had absolutely no seniority. Finn was trying to find some work as a musician—he wanted to feel like he was contributing to the household expenses. Privately, the boys agreed that they really did _not_ want to see their beautiful girl splashed all over the big screen without a stitch on where just any old sick, perverted creep could ogle her. Especially if they weren't even allowed to punch anyone. It was probably better to have Kurt accompany her. In addition, they knew that Kurt was pretty protective of Rachel and her relationship with both boys so they felt comfortable relinquishing her to his care.

After the premieres, Rachel made the rounds of all the talk shows and evening programs. _Artistic Explosion_ was doing amazingly well at the box office, which somewhat surprised Rachel. She had expected the critical acclaim, but the popularity of the movie shocked her. Her tony award nomination and Grammy award nominations had been almost expected by most of the Broadway community. Her Oscar nomination absolutely floored her.

"Shut up!"

"Rachel, I'm serious. You've been nominated for best actress in a leading role." Her agent Margaret did _not_ play games.

"Oh…oh my…you're serious, aren't you?"

"Honey, I'm deadly serious. You are the "it" girl right now. I have offers pouring in so fast that Alex is wading through all the legalese as fast as he can. You need to come see me next week so that we can go through some of them with Alex. Kurt is going to sit in on it so that he can veto any egregious over scheduling."

Rachel made some appropriate noises and hung up with Margaret. The next week Kurt sat down with Rachel, Margaret and Alex and they argued their way through a pile of offers. Kurt encouraged Rachel to take up the offers that wouldn't really take up too much of her time. There was one that Kurt kept pushing. It was a children's movie and they wanted Rachel's voice for the female lead. Rachel finally gave him her patented look. He gave her a little smile.

"Sweetie, I'm just thinking about how well this will mesh with your personal goals," Kurt said noncommittally. Rachel thought about that for a second and then she thought she understood. Voice work would be slightly easier on her physically. She could do it and other projects at the same time. Really it was an ideal project and as an added bonus the boys would like the fact that no one would see her naked.

"Okay, Alex. Tell them I'm tentatively interested, but I want to see a script and I want to know who is going to be writing the music and the lyrics." Alex nodded and took notes.

Between the four of them they hammered out Rachel's upcoming schedule for most of the next year, but they made sure that she wouldn't be dangerously over scheduled. Kurt had strict orders from Dr. Van Zandt and he vetoed anything that promised to take too much out of Rachel. It was going to be the first year that Rachel wouldn't be doing the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in a number of years, but she refused to feel sad because it was Kurt's first year and she was happy for him. Rachel felt pretty good about the coming year and she could tell that both Margaret and Alex did too. Kurt seemed somewhat smug, but she ignored that.

**Thanksgiving Day**

Blaine decided to spend the day at the apartment with Rachel and the boys. Puck was cooking because Finn swore if he didn't get to eat turkey he was going to eat out. Puck had complained that that was ridiculous and that they all needed to eat together for their first official family holiday. It was kind of cute to see Puck take their status as a family so seriously. Rachel wisely held her tongue because she knew how important the holidays were for Finn. She had already spoken to Puck and they had decided to put up a tree even though they'd be celebrating Hanukah. Puck puttered around in the kitchen preparing everything for the Thanksgiving meal. As soon as the parade was over Kurt was going to come join them for dinner. He had a kosher vegan turkey substitute for Rachel. The turkey was in the roaster and as the smell of roasting turkey wafted through the apartment Finn started to pop into the kitchen sort of wandering around.

"Dude, stay away from the turkey. It's not done yet. Go eat some of the finger food Rachel put out," Puck said in a harassed tone of voice.

"Are you sure you don't need me to taste it or something?" Finn looked hopeful. Puck shook his head at him and shooed him out of the kitchen. Rachel appeared not long after and she looked worried and upset.

"What's wrong, baby girl?" Puck asked gently. He knew she was a little sad that she wasn't in the parade this year. She looked at him with wide chocolate eyes and bit her lip.

"It smells really good," she said finally in a small, embarrassed voice. Puck was confused.

"Well, that's good, right? I mean, we want Thanksgiving dinner to taste decent. We've got guests and everything. It's our first big holiday as a family. I was kind of excited."

"No, you don't understand," Rachel sounded incredibly upset and Puck realized with horror and that tears were trembling on her lashes. He put an arm around her and pulled her against his chest. He tipped her chin up with a finger and looked into her eyes.

"Shorty, what's _wrong_?"

"The _turkey_ smells really good. I _want_ some," she whispered in shame, wringing her hands. Puck stared at Rachel. He'd known her for almost fifteen years and she'd been vegan for twelve of those years. Rachel usually found the smell of meat vaguely repugnant. She ignored it when the boys ate meat the way some people ignored their spouse smoking cigarettes. They weren't happy about it, and they made their partner brush his or her teeth afterwards (and wash their hands), but they didn't really complain.

"You want to eat turkey?" Puck was shocked.

"No!" Rachel wailed. "I don't want turkey at all, but it's like I'm craving it or something."

Puck tightened his hold on Rachel and stroked her back. Finn poked his head in again and frowned when he saw Rachel's upset expression. Puck gave him a look that clearly said _get over here and help me, damn it_! Finn came over and stroked Rachel's cheek.

"She's craving turkey," Puck said with a confused expression. Finn's eyes grew wide and he stared at Rachel in surprise. Between the two of them they managed to calm and reassure their girl. Finn got her to go back out to the parade and watch it with Blaine.

The rest of the day went by wonderfully. It was a beautiful meal and Rachel was so proud to have Kurt and Blaine share this very first holiday that they were celebrating as a family. Her turkey substitute was delicious and she stubbornly ignored the smell of the turkey. Finn was thrilled with dinner. He complimented Puck so many times that he finally told Finn to shut up. Blaine and Kurt enjoyed themselves immensely. They were officially a couple again and Blaine was ecstatically happy. He smiled at everyone all through the meal until Rachel discreetly kicked him in the ankle and shook her head at him. He knew she was telling him he was overdoing it so he tried to be more subtle.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Rachel was absolutely miserable. She must be coming down with some sort of god awful stomach flu. She spent several days puking her guts out and then laying on the bathroom floor with the dry heaves before the boys took her to see Dr. Van Zandt. He ran several tests and then came back with a slight smile.

"Rachel, you most assuredly do not have the flu," he began, but Rachel cut him off.

"What do you mean I don't have the flu? I've been puking for days. Haven't I?" She turned to her boys for support and they nodded solemnly. Both men looked haggard and worried. Dr. Van Zandt's slight smile widened a little.

"I imagine that the puking will only last for another three months or so," he said kindly.

"Three months? That's ridiculous! What sort of illness causes that?" Rachel huffed in irritation.

"Most people wouldn't really consider it an illness, but pregnancy has been known to cause nausea in the first trimester," Dr. Van Zandt said succinctly. Rachel's chocolate eyes grew huge. Finn and Puck both looked as though they'd been punched in the stomach.

"But…but…that can't be! I only stopped taking the contraceptives six months ago. It takes a year for it to get out of your system," Rachel argued futilely.

"It can take up to a year, yes," Dr. Van Zandt agreed. "However, it can also take considerably less time. You are pregnant, my dear. We can do an ultrasound and determine how far along you are." The ultrasound revealed one more surprise.

"Is that the baby," Finn asked in a soft voice tinged with awe. His eyes were glued to the ultrasound monitor and he had a wistful half-smile.

"That's one of them, yes," Dr. Van Zandt murmured as he adjusted the wand. All three people stared at him. He realized he'd shocked all of them. "See here? There are two heartbeats. Both babies appear fine. You are about five or six weeks along."

Rachel felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. Twins? She hadn't planned for _that_ at all. She had no notion that twins were even a possibility because there weren't any in her fathers' families. Maybe on her mother's side? She stared at the boys. Finn looked awestruck. Puck was smiling shyly at Rachel.

"That must be why you were craving that turkey on Thanksgiving," he said softly. Understanding dawned in Rachel's eyes.

"You know, that's probably true," Rachel said in relief. Dr. Van Zandt handed her a copy of _What to Expect When You're Expecting_ and explained several important things she would want to watch out for as the mother-to-be of twins. _Mother_. Her cheeks pinkened at the thought. She was going to be a mother. That meant her boys were going to be fathers. That was definitely going to take some getting used to.

"Now, a vegan diet is perfectly fine, but you will need to be slightly more careful about your prenatal vitamins. I can recommend several brands that are certified vegan." Rachel nodded as Dr. Van Zandt outlined several more concerns he wanted to broach with her. Then something occurred to her and she turned back to the doctor with fearful eyes.

"What about Tay Sachs? I mean, I had all the tests done when I was eighteen, but Noah…" Rachel's eyes were wide and distressed. Puck smiled gently at her and stroked her cheek.

"I had them all done when I was about twenty-one…just in case, you know? I'm not a carrier." Rachel let a out a huge sigh of relief.

"Neither am I," she said with a smile.

"I want all three of you to go home and sort of let this sink in. Rachel, we need to schedule another appointment for you. We'll do about a month from now. Read through the book and write down any questions or concerns any of you have. This is just the first trimester and you should be fine for now. Well, except for the morning sickness."

The boys treated Rachel as though she were made of spun glass. There was an argument when they got back to the apartment because the boys thought they should carry her upstairs to her apartment. Rachel snorted and started walking up the stairs. The boys followed her closely and both of them seemed worried. They got into their apartment and she dragged them into the living room and sat on the couch between them.

"I am not going to break. You heard Dr. Van Zandt. In the first trimester, I'll be fine and there really isn't too much to worry about. You have to treat me normally."

"But, Rachel," both boys started at the same time and then stopped. She gave a soft laugh and touched them each on the cheek.

"You two are going to be daddies," she said softly with a shy smile at both of them. They hugged her between them, but gently.

"Are you okay with this? It isn't exactly how you planned it, shorty," Puck asked with concern.

"Well, it isn't how I planned it. I certainly wasn't prepared for twins. I am calling my dads in just a second about that, but we all love each other and we want to be together and we agreed that kids were what we wanted," Rachel was musing aloud and the boys listened carefully. "I think I'm a little bit scared, a little bit excited and a lot happy. I feel so many different things right now I just don't know how to express all of it. Are you two happy? I know I wanted a baby, but you seemed uncertain, Noah."

"I'm happy," said Finn giving Rachel another affectionate squeeze. His face showed a mixture of joy, pride and love as he looked down at Rachel and kissed her brow.

"I think I'm more like you, Rachel. I think I'm a little bit scared, a little bit excited and a lot happy. I think I'm proud, too. I'm proud that you want this with us and you trust Finn and me enough to be a part of it with you. It's a huge responsibility. I just hope that we never let you or the babies down." Puck's primary expression was worry. Finn knew that Puck was afraid that he would be just like his own father. He gripped Puck's shoulder.

"You are going to be a great dad and we'll be able to help each other, dude. Just like we always have." Puck couldn't argue with that. If Finn had his back, he could do anything. Even become a good dad. Puck buried his face in Rachel's shoulder. Her tiny hands stroked his back gently and Finn patted him awkwardly. They both hugged Puck between them and held him for a few minutes until he was able to collect himself. Then Rachel decided she really needed to call her dads.

"Dad? I need to ask you a question about my biological mom," Rachel began briskly.

"What's that, sweetheart," her dad asked curiously. This phone call was completely unexpected.

"Do twins run in her family?" There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line.

"Um…I think they might. Let me ask your dad to be sure." Her dad came back on the line after a moment. "He says yes they do. It's on the paperwork she filled out originally. We had hoped that we might end up with twins so that you wouldn't have to be an only child, but apparently they skip a generation. Why do you ask?"

"Daddy, I'm pregnant." Her father gave a gasp of surprise.

"Oh, sweetheart! Congratulations! Is it twins? Of course it is, or you wouldn't have asked, would you? Oh, honey, Rachel's pregnant and it's twins!" Her other father came on the line.

"Rachel? Oh, sweetheart congratulations. Tell those boys they'd better take good care of you."

"Yes, dad."

"You'd better come for Hanukah this year. Everyone will want to see you. Finn and Puck's mothers will be quite upset if you don't call them too so you'd better do that, but honey you will come home for Hanukah, yes?"

"Yes, dad. I love you both and we'll see you soon." Finn and Puck called their mothers and Puck also called his Nana. They all received hearty congratulations and everyone was thrilled that they were coming home for the holidays.

_Morning sickness, my ass_, Rachel thought as she clung to the toilet and dry heaved into it. She was puking morning, noon and night. _Everything_ made her run for a bucket or the bathroom. Puck was using vinegar to cook with and the smell made her throw up everything she'd managed to keep down. The smell of cleaning products, like the floor wax that the grocery store used, sent her running for a garbage can. She started talking to her stomach.

"You two can't hate everything. There has to be something that doesn't make me sick," she muttered at her stomach.

Unfortunately, there was. The smell of meat cooking made her mouth water, which she found embarrassing and slightly gross. She felt like that poor pregnant girl in the original miniseries "V" where she had been impregnated with the alien hybrid baby and was eating raw hamburger meat out of the fridge. Rachel did not give in to her unborn babies' apparent preference for dead animal flesh. She knew of meat-eating friends who had been incredibly nauseous at the smell of meat during their pregnancies and they still ate it because they thought it would help their children somehow. She considered this to be merely be a reversal of that situation. She continued to eat healthful nutritious foods that were good for her and her babies. Her babies. She felt herself smiling somewhat sappily. The same way the boys did when they looked at her. Finn and Puck had always made her feel beautiful with the way they looked at her, but now there was something almost reverential in the way they watched her. Puck had choked up during the first Shabbat after they'd all found out when he tried to sing the Eshet Chayil tears started to run down his cheeks. Rachel started to cry too, but she was smiling. _I seriously need to learn Hebrew_, Finn decided. He broached the subject with his family later in the week.

"How do I learn Hebrew," Finn asked at dinner. Rachel and Puck both stopped eating and stared at him.

"What do you mean," Puck asked after he exchanged a glance with Rachel.

"Well, you always do the Shabbat prayers and the holiday prayers in Hebrew. We're going to have kids and they'll know Hebrew too, right?" Rachel got a soft smile and she looked down toward her stomach.

"They'll go to Hebrew school and they'll learn language, culture and religion," Puck said slowly as he tried to follow Finn's logic.

"Then I'll be the only one who doesn't know what's going on," Finn finished quietly. "I already feel like I don't know what's going on, but it'll be like you guys are the family and I'm just some fifth wheel."

"Oh, no!" Rachel reached out and grabbed his hand. Her chocolate eyes were distressed. "No, Finn, you are a part of this. You are a very important part. If learning Hebrew will help you to feel like you belong then that's what we'll do."

"I think you'd feel really uncomfortable at Hebrew school because it's all little kids. Let me ask at the synagogue. I know there are some classes for people who want to convert. Would you mind going to those? You don't have to convert or anything. I can talk to the man who runs the classes." Puck offered.

"Yeah. That sounds good," Finn agreed.

Finn began Hebrew classes not long after and Rachel and Puck both helped him whenever he had a question. Finn was happy. He loved Rachel with his whole heart and he was now able to live with her and Puck as a family. They were going to have babies together and they would celebrate holidays together. Finn felt like his life was finally full and complete. It was like Rachel used to say in high school—being a part of something special made you special.

**Hanukah**

Everyone gathered at the Berry residence to light the menorah and celebrate Hanukah together. Nana was in the kitchen making latkes and homemade applesauce. Rachel's mouth was watering at the smell.

"Those are vegan, right?" She whispered to Puck because she didn't want to offend his Nana. He smiled and nodded at her. Nana pushed Rachel to the kitchen table and shoved a plate with piping hot latkes and warm applesauce on top.

"Eat, eat! You're too thin, you should eat more. The babies need the nourishment and as their mother you must do what you can while they have no choice to obey you. Trust me, once they're out in the world they don't listen to a word you say." Rachel hid a smile and nodded seriously. Nana watched her like a hawk and made sure that Rachel cleaned her plate. When she held it out for more latkes, Nana beamed at her.

"You chose a good girl, Noah, a good girl," Nana said and patted Puck's cheek.

"I know Nana," Puck said around a mouthful of latkes. Rachel rolled her eyes at him. He grinned at her and swallowed. Finn wandered into the kitchen and looked hopefully at Nana. She smiled at him and pushed him toward the kitchen table.

"It's nice to be in a house filled with young people again," Nana sighed wistfully and bustled around the stove. Mrs. Puckerman came into the kitchen and helped her as much as Nana would allow. She kept glancing at Rachel and smiling. She was very excited about being a grandmother. Her Noah caught her at it and gave her a happy smile. She spontaneously hugged him and he hugged her back.

"So, did you talk to Rachel yet?" Mrs. Puckerman asked.

"About what?" Rachel asked curiously.

"Names for the babies," Puck answered.

"Your great-grandfathers were named Samuel and Jacob," Mrs. Puckerman began.

"Not Jacob," Puck said flatly in a voice that brooked no argument. Rachel had gone dreadfully still and Finn's face grew tight.

"Okay," Mrs. Puckerman said quietly. She wasn't sure exactly why Puck was so upset, but she knew that right now he was angry and upset so Jacob was definitely not happening.

"Isn't it a little early," Finn asked finally. "I mean, they're only like eight or nine weeks old."

"It's tradition to name babies after people in the family who have passed on," Nana said kindly to Finn. "It's so they can be remembered and they'll live on through the succeeding generations. I had a brother named Solomon. He was a good, kind man." Nana and Mrs. Puckerman weren't giving up that easily.

Finn thought about that for a couple minutes and then he looked at Rachel and Puck. Puck knew exactly what he was thinking and he thought that it was a good idea. He smiled at Finn.

"I think Christopher is a really good name," Puck said quietly while he looked at Finn. Understanding dawned on Rachel's face and she smiled gently and nodded at Finn.

"Christopher is a wonderful name," Rachel agreed softly.

Finn's eyes watered, but he rubbed his cheeks with the back of his hand. Carole wandered into the kitchen. She wasn't sure how all the Hanukah stuff worked, but so far it seemed like a warm, loving family celebration. She saw that Finn's eyes were slightly red and she knew he'd been crying. She moved over to her son and touched his shoulder lightly.

"Finn, honey? Are you okay?" She asked with concern. She looked toward Rachel and Puck for assistance. Rachel smiled at Carole.

"Mrs. Puckerman and Puck's Nana were explaining about Jewish naming traditions. We name babies after people who have passed on so that they live on through the younger generations. We told Finn that we thought Christopher was a wonderful name and he got a little emotional," Rachel explained. Carole felt her own eyes grow moist.

"Really?" Carole asked softly with a glance toward Finn.

"Really, truly, Mrs. Hummel," Puck answered.

"Thank you," she managed to choke out. Rachel stood up and moved over to Carole. She hugged her tightly and was soon enveloped by Finn's big arms as he hugged both her and his mother. Puck joined them and it became a big group hug with Carole in the middle.

Several days later Rachel was caught off guard by a surprise baby shower. Santana and Brittany had come home for Christmas for the first time in almost eight years. Lauren had come home for the holidays as well. Tina came home every year and this year was no exception. Quinn was the only female member of their former glee club who still lived in Lima. Everyone had been careful to get things that were yellow or green or white because they still weren't sure what sex the babies were. Everything was too cute and everyone oohed and aahed over the tiny socks and little onesies and the bibs. Rachel hid a smile and didn't tell them that Blaine and Kurt had already started showering her with presents. Blaine had purchased a gorgeous Gucci diaper bag with little Gucci onesies and sleeper suits. Kurt found little bibs that said "I love my two dads" and "I'm the apple of my dads' eyes". Santana had apparently found something fairly similar out in L.A. and Rachel laughed when she saw the little bibs.

"The boys will love these," Rachel said with a grin for Santana and Brittany who beamed back at her.

"I thought they might," Santana said with satisfaction.

Tina made Rachel several comfortable maternity blouses and a couple dresses. Rachel gave her a tight hug.

"These will come in so handy. Thank you Tina," Rachel said gratefully. Tina smiled at Rachel.

"Of course, Rachel. You're one of my best models after all," she joked with a smile. Rachel gave a light laugh. The afternoon passed pleasantly until they had lunch. The smell of the vegetable curry (normally one of Rachel's favorite meals) sent Rachel to the bathroom where she spent the next hour. Quinn came in and helped her.

"Have you tried ginger ale and saltines? It worked like a charm for me," she offered kindly. Rachel turned and eyed Quinn.

"Really? Will you call the boys and ask them to go buy some?"

"Of course. Are they in your phone?" Rachel nodded and then moaned into the toilet.

Finn and Puck showed up with saltines and ginger ale. After several minutes Rachel threw a grateful look towards Quinn.

"It works! Thank you so much!" She nibbled cautiously at another saltine and sipped carefully at her ginger ale. Puck and Finn gathered her up, thanked everyone for their kindness and took her back to her dads' house.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Dr. Van Zandt was frowning severely at Rachel and her boys were frowning back at him. He tapped the chart in front of him.

"You are losing too much weight, Rachel. This has got to stop."

"It's not on purpose!" Rachel wailed defensively. Her eyes were getting slightly moist.

"Doctor, she's puking all the time. She eats but it just comes right back up," Finn defended Rachel heatedly. Puck nodded decisively. Dr. Van Zandt's frown became more musing than accusative.

"We might need to prescribe some anti-nausea medication for you, Rachel. You really can't lose any more weight. The babies appear to be healthy. You've read through the book, right?" Rachel nodded. "Do you have any questions?"

"There seem to be a lot of things that can go wrong," Puck muttered with a worried glance at Rachel. Dr. Van Zandt sighed.

"Well, it is true that there are things that can go wrong. While twins can increase certain risk factors I wouldn't worry too much. Rachel is a perfectly healthy young woman. She is in peak physical condition. I promise that we will keep a close eye on her and make sure that everything works out okay."

"When will we know what sex the babies are?" Rachel asked curiously. Dr. Van Zandt gave her a slight smile.

"Do you want to know or would you rather have it be a surprise?" He asked all three of them. They looked at one another. The boys looked at Rachel and gave her a slight smile. She looked at Dr. Van Zandt.

"We want to know," Rachel said firmly.

"We can schedule an ultrasound at about twenty weeks, which would be two visits from now," Dr. Van Zandt said with a glance at Rachel's chart. He made some notes and wrote her a prescription for anti-nausea medication.

"Now, I am perfectly capable of walking up and down stairs by myself am I not?" Rachel asked with a heated glance at her boys.

"Right now, you're perfectly fine walking up and down stairs, but in a few months your center of gravity will shift and it wouldn't hurt to have someone nearby to hold your elbow." The boys shot triumphant looks at Rachel who gave a small sigh.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

_A/N: To all of you who have managed to stay the course, thank you for your support. I must admit to you all that "Born This Way" gave me a little Puckleberry Finn thrill. I loved the "barbravention" at the mall and I LOVED what Kurt said. "You won't listen to Puck or Finn." It sounded like something that could totally happen in my deranged little fantasyland. Right? Anyway, I totally loved that scene and the parts where both Puck and Finn (her boys) try to convince that her nose is part of what makes her hot and/or beautiful. :sigh: Oh well, that's one reason why fanfic exists—because deep within our shriveled, black little hearts we want a happy ending. I feel like a small child drumming my heels on the floor and crying, "I want a happy ending! I want a happy ending!" _


	12. Baby, Baby

_A/N: I really want to thank everyone who has taken the time to review this story. I appreciate the feedback and the constructive criticism. Thank you. _

"So what do you want?" Finn asked curiously. Rachel shrugged. She didn't have a preference. She already loved both of her babies and she didn't care if they were boys or girls.

"I just want healthy babies," Puck muttered, "have you read the back of that book? Did you see everything that could go wrong?"

"I suppose I want healthy babies, too," Rachel said thoughtfully. "I know what your mother and grandmother want. They have only suggested boys' names, Noah."

"I hope they are healthy," Finn said with a worried frown at Puck. "I don't think I care if they are boys or girls. I'll love them no matter what."

"If they're girls we won't be able to use the name Christopher," Rachel said quietly and put a hand on Finn's arm. Finn nodded and patted her hand.

"I know." Finn honestly didn't mind. The fact that Puck and Rachel had been willing to honor his dad that way was all that mattered. That they cared enough to consider his feelings was the thing that touched him.

"Can you imagine two mini-Rachels," Puck asked with a fond smile as he pictured two tiny dark-haired girls running through their apartment. Finn grinned at the thought of two little girls who looked like Rachel. He hugged her tightly against his side with one arm.

"I think that would be awesome," Finn said and he kissed the top of Rachel's head. Rachel blushed and giggled. Her boys were so cute. Personally, the idea of two mini-mes was slightly daunting. She knew that she was a handful and she felt no small amount of trepidation at the thought of two little carbon copies running rampant. She fondly imagined little Pucks and little Finns running around, but she knew she would be happy with whatever her little whosits turned out to be.

"Regardless of what our little whosits turn out to be, we have an Oscar award ceremony to attend," Rachel stated firmly. Her luggage was all packed and ready to go. Puck had arranged with the museum to have a week off to travel out to the Oscars and back. Finn had arranged with the band that he was playing with to take off a week as well. Both boys were not about to let her go to any Oscars parties without them. Rachel was still okay to fly, but it was getting close to when she couldn't fly anymore.

Santana and Brittany offered their house to Finn, Rachel, and Puck. They had made up Finn's old room, and his bed was still there. Santana and Brittany picked them up from the airport.

"Hey, Finn!" Brittany was waving at Finn, who was easy to spot as he towered over most of the people milling through the airport. He smiled and waved at Brittany. She vaulted toward him and threw herself around his neck. He patted her back carefully as Santana made her way toward them. She had a wide grin and she hugged Rachel tightly.

"Hey, little mama! How are you feeling?" Santana asked gently.

"I'm fine, don't listen to the boys—they worry too much," Rachel told Santana with a grimace. Puck and Finn had almost come unglued when airport security tried to x-ray Rachel. Puck had basically told the one gentleman that only a complete idiot would try to x-ray a pregnant woman and that if he thought he was going to irradiate the babies he had another think coming. Then Finn and Puck glared menacingly at everyone and stood protectively close to Rachel while airport security patted her down.

"Well, come on Rachel," Finn said defensively, "were you seriously going to let them make the babies glow?"

"No, baby, I was not going to let security irradiate our children." Rachel said soothingly. She patted Finn's arm absently. Both men hovered anxiously around Rachel and moved carefully with her and around her to get her out of the airport. Rachel just looked at Santana who was trying to smother a giggle. _Shut up_, her expressive face told Santana. That only made the Latina giggle a little more.

"What?" Puck had had a harrowing trip, and his patience had begun to stretch thin.

"You two boys. Why aren't you just picking her up and carrying her through the airport?" Santana said facetiously with a grin. Finn and Puck looked at each other.

"She won't let us," Puck muttered in annoyance. Santana's mouth dropped open slightly. She'd been joking. Rachel just rolled her eyes at Santana.

"Do not encourage them," Rachel sighed. Finn and Puck shouldered the luggage between the two of them. They wouldn't let Rachel carry any of it. Santana and Brittany helped the boys load the luggage into Santana's car.

When they got to Santana's house and they got Rachel inside both boys relaxed slightly. Rachel sat on the couch and sighed dramatically.

"How's the morning sickness?" Santana asked sympathetically.

"It's not quite as bad since Dr. Van Zandt prescribed some anti-nausea medication," Rachel said with a grateful smile. Her life had become so much better after she started the anti-nausea medication. She was hoping that the second trimester would be the end of her morning sickness.

"You still dry-heaved in an air-sick bag cross-country," Finn said with a frown.

"After you puked up everything else on that airport security guy," Puck recalled with a smile.

"Don't upset a pregnant woman and she won't lose her breakfast on your shoes," Rachel opined with an air of self-righteous satisfaction.

"You didn't!" Santana was horrified and fascinated at the same time.

"Not on purpose. They wanted to x-ray me and I was trying to explain that I was pregnant and I didn't want to be x-rayed because it might hurt the babies. I was worried about Finn and Puck overreacting and Puck threatened one of the airport security people, which just made me even more nervous. My medication was in my checked baggage because I didn't want to deal with any drama about carrying it on. It just all escalated until I was puking up everything all over some supervisor. They got us through fairly quickly after that," Rachel concluded.

"Leave it to you, Rachel," Santana laughed and shook her head. "I have ginger ale and saltine crackers on hand for you. There's a mini fridge down there that used to be Finn's. It's got ginger ale in it and we also have some in the fridge up here. So no matter where you are in the house you should be able to get some ginger ale."

"Thank you, you are a lifesaver," Rachel said gratefully. "If it's okay with you, I'm going to take a nap." For whatever reason, Rachel slept a lot lately. Dr. Van Zandt said that it was completely normal for the first trimester. She thought back to her last appointment.

"_Even though you can't tell, you're body is performing amazing feats in there. It takes a lot of energy and a lot of work and that's why you're so tired all the time. You're basically burning through calories while you're sitting there."_

They boys were used to Rachel's frequent naps so they weren't worried or anxious. They made sure that she could make it downstairs easily and tucked her into bed. Puck and Finn each kissed her on the forehead and then left her alone so that she could take her nap.

*glee* *glee* *glee*

Oscar night was electric. Rachel paced through the house. Whatever room she happened to be in, she paced. Tina sent Rachel's dress several days before with an assistant to make sure that everything fit properly. Both Tina and Rachel did not want the dress to be too tight; this was going to be a huge night for both of them. The assistant carefully finished her stitches and had Rachel try it on again. Then she took a picture and sent it to Tina. Puck and Finn hovered at Rachel's elbows, but tried to stay out of her way.

Rachel looked radiant, her golden skin seemed to glow with health and vitality. Tina had carefully constructed the dress to flatter Rachel's slightly thickening stomach. She wasn't showing yet, not really. Her waist had thickened just enough that she couldn't wear tight jeans. Her boys loved to put their hands on her hardened abdomen. Every night they made sure to kiss her and then kiss the "baby belly". Every night she would give a chuckle and smack them both on the arm.

"_We love you, little whosits," Finn crooned at Rachel's tummy. _

"_We do, we love you both," added Puck in a sappy tone. Rachel rolled her eyes. If she had a video camera this would be blackmail gold that she could use for years. _

"Are you ready, shorty?" Puck called down the hall. Rachel smiled at herself in the mirror and went out to her boys. Both men smiled appreciatively at her.

"You look pretty, Rachel," Brittany noted from her spot on the couch.

"No," Finn shook his head. "You look beautiful."

_Artistic Explosion_ swept the Oscars and took home a number of awards. Rachel started to get nervous. Maybe she'd actually win an Oscar award. When they announced her category and said her name her boys were grinning so hard their cheeks hurt.

"And the award goes to…Rachel Berry!"

Rachel sat there for a moment, a stunned expression on her face. Puck and Finn were standing next to her clapping and urging her to her feet. Each gently hugged her and she carefully made her way up to the podium. She stood there and stared at everyone for a further moment. She had never expected to win and hadn't prepared a speech. She knew she was supposed to keep it very short and sweet.

"Thank you so much for this incredible honor," she began shakily, thinking furiously to herself. "I would like to thank Marcus Cunningham and Lyle Fortescue for believing in me and entrusting me with their brilliant creation—_Artistic Explosion_. Like anything truly great, this was not the work of one individual, but the work of a team. I would not be standing here if I had not had the support of the cast and crew that I worked with. Thank you." Rachel gave a slight curtsy which was an almost unconscious act. Then the announcers led her backstage.

Everyone texted, messaged, and called her as the award show was broadcast on television. She was made a brief post thanking everyone for their well wishes. She called her dads who were both crying they were so excited and so happy for her.

The Grammy Awards went in a fairly similar fashion. Everything was happening so quickly that Rachel and her boys had a hard time wrapping their heads around everything. Rachel had now won a tony, a Grammy and an Oscar. She was a star. She had accomplished all of her goals and she had attained amazing accolades from her peers. The prestige and the honors filled her with a deep sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. She would need to sit down and come up with some new goals for herself because there was always more to be done.

"You know, I haven't won an Emmy award. You have to be on television to win those," Rachel murmured thoughtfully on the plane ride back to New York. Puck glanced at her and realized she wasn't talking to either of them, she was talking to herself. He smiled slightly. Their girl was always trying to think ahead.

"Well, you've got plenty of time to do that, babe," Finn murmured back and patted her absently on the knee.

Rachel's pregnancy was starting to show a bit more; her belly was gently rounded and none of her dresses or pants fit properly. She was wearing Tina's special maternity clothes. She absently rubbed her stomach and thought some more. She needed to sit down and consider all of her options. Did she really want to pursue television work? Patti LuPone had been on a successful television program called "Life Goes On" for a number of years. Liza Minelli had been a regular guest on several different variety shows. The only problem was that those types of variety shows no longer existed. Rachel concluded that she was not averse to television work, but it would need to be the right type of project. Her first love would always be the stage and that meant Broadway. Puck squeezed her knee affectionately and she smiled at him.

*glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee*

By the time the tony awards came, Rachel was quite obviously pregnant. She thought she shouldn't be showing this much, this soon, but Dr. Van Zandt assured her that it was fairly normal when dealing with twins. Rachel sighed and made arrangements to have Tina make her several loose, comfortable dresses that would still look good. Puck and Finn accompanied her to the tony awards as well and her condition was the subject of wild speculation. Rachel smiled for the cameras, but she refused to answer any of the, to her mind, highly intrusive questions. Rachel accepted the fact that as a public figure people would take pictures of her at awards shows. She also accepted the fact that one had to do appearances, sign autographs, and expect to be approached on the street by complete strangers who might or might not be a threat to her. However, she drew the line at her personal life. She refused to allow strangers into her bedroom and her personal business. She knew that her fans felt like they knew her after reading all the articles and press releases and watching all her appearances and movies, but really they only ever saw the public persona. For instance, thanks to her boys (and many weekends in high school spent watching games) she was actually an avid football fan. It was easier for her to watch college games because she usually did two shows on Sundays.

Rachel was excited because Kurt was up for a tony award for his recent role. They managed to sit together so that Rachel, Puck, Finn, Kurt and Blaine were all sharing a table. Kurt and Rachel were nervous and kept clutching at each other's hands. Blaine was rubbing the small of Kurt's back and Finn and Puck gently patted or stroked Rachel. When Kurt won his tony tears of joy streamed down Rachel's face. She hugged him tightly to her and then let him go so that he could accept his award. Rachel cried even more when she heard his acceptance speech.

"This award represents everything I've been working toward for years. There have been several people through the years who have encouraged me and helped me along the way. Rachel and Blaine, I thank you both for believing in me and being there for me every step of the way." Kurt also thanked the director and his fellow cast mates. When he came back Rachel jumped up and hugged him again. Blaine handed her some tissues to dab at her face and he hugged Kurt and kissed him briefly.

"That was the best acceptance speech ever," Blaine murmured to Kurt.

When Rachel won the tony she was nominated for, she was truly surprised. She had expected that she would follow in the footsteps of the incomparable Ms. Lupone and Ms. Minelli. She thought she would have twenty-five years or so until her next tony. She gracefully accepted her award and then Blaine took them all to a private supper club where they had reservations. It was an incredible evening, the kind of evening that a person remembers for the rest of his or her life. Rachel and Kurt couldn't stop smiling at one another; she thought back to their studio apartment days. They had lain awake in bed next to one another and told each other stories about what they would accomplish someday. It had always been "someday", and someday was now. She felt herself tearing up and surreptitiously dabbed her eyes with a tissue.

"What is it, sweetie," Kurt asked with concern. He worried for a moment that it might be the twins.

"It's someday," Rachel whispered back to him. It took Kurt just a moment, but he realized what Rachel was talking about. A beatific grin lit up his entire face.

"It _is_ someday." He lifted his glass and she lifted her sparkling cider to clink against his Manhattan. "To someday."

"To someday," she responded with a smile.

*glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee*

Finn was restlessly shifting from foot to foot and kept glancing at the time on his phone. Puck was pacing back and forth across the small space of Dr. Van Zandt's waiting room. Rachel was reading the script for an animated movie that Kurt had convinced her to do. She carefully ignored both of her boys and refused to let their impatience irritate her. Today was her twenty week appointment and they were finally going to learn the sex of the twins. Rachel admitted to herself that she was excited, but she was trying to maintain a semblance of patience.

"Rachel Berry?" A nurse smiled at them. Finn took her elbow and Puck grabbed the script and her bag. For goodness' sake! She wasn't sure if she could handle four more months of overprotective Puck and Finn. She sighed heavily and allowed them to gently guide her down the hall. Dr. Van Zandt joined them shortly.

"Okay, are you ready to do this?" He smiled at the three of them. Pregnancy became Rachel; her skin was glowing and healthy and she looked radiantly happy. Dr. Van Zandt supposed that might have something to do with the two men with her.

"Please, Dr. Van Zandt. Do not tease them. They have been driving me crazy," Rachel pleaded with a sly smile at her boys. Puck stuck out his tongue at her.

Rachel pulled up her shirt, revealing the gentle swell of her belly and Dr. Van Zandt squirted the ultrasound gel on her skin. He moved the paddle around efficiently and muttered under his breath a few times. Finn and Puck hovered anxiously, their eyes tracking the esoteric movements of the paddle and the changing picture on the ultrasound screen. Finally, he stopped moving the paddle and tapped the screen with a finger.

"See here?" All three of them nodded. They weren't sure what they were seeing, but they could see it was there.

"This one is a girl." Rachel felt her eyes welling up with tears. They rolled unchecked down her cheeks. _Hi baby. It's me, your mama. _Finn and Puck also had tears in their eyes.

"Are you sure," asked Rachel cautiously. She knew that sometimes ultrasounds weren't one hundred percent accurate.

"Normally, I would caution you that there is room for error. However, this is definitely a little girl. And….so is this one. They're both girls, which is completely logical because they are identical twins. You can see here that they share the same placenta."

Finn's heart was expanding so much he thought it might burst right out of his chest. Two little girls. He knew that they were going to be the most beautiful little girls in the world. After their mama, of course. Rachel would always be the most beautiful girl in his world. He looked at Puck and they shared a look. _I know, dude. I know._ Puck felt overwhelmed by the welter of emotions bubbling up inside of him. He was going to be the father of two little girls. He felt both completely unworthy and unbelievably proud.

*glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee*

It was two months later and Rachel's hormones were kicking into high gear. She was glowing and radiant, obviously pregnant as the gentle swell had become dramatically pronounced. One other side effect that she hadn't exactly counted on were her feelings of amorousness. Puck and Finn decided that this was probably their favorite part of pregnancy. Rachel was fairly aggressive sexually. Or at least she was not afraid to tell her boys what she wanted. There were times when the boys were incredibly grateful that they had each other. Puck and Finn both found a pregnant Rachel to be incredibly beautiful. Her skin seemed to glow and she just seemed exude the magic of life.

Puck was sitting up in bed with Rachel leaning against him for support. She couldn't lie comfortably on her back any longer, in fact it was dangerous to their daughters for her to do so. She shifted slightly and Puck gently stroked her hip.

"It's getter harder and harder to find a comfortable position," Rachel complained.

"I'm sorry, baby girl," Puck murmured into her hair as he placed a light kiss on the top of her head. Rachel sighed and tried to cuddle against Puck's chest. His strong, muscular arms supported her. She gave a small sigh of contentment and Puck's gentle, stroking hands wandered slightly. Rachel leaned back against him more fully, to allow greater access and moaned slightly when Puck took advantage of that. He hid a smile in the curve of her neck. He gently stroked the prominent curve of her stomach when he was suddenly, firmly kicked in the hand. His eyes widened in surprise and he stared at Rachel who grinned back at him.

"She's saying hi, Daddy," Rachel giggled at the look of shock on Puck's face. She had felt their babies moving restlessly in their ever smaller home, but neither of the boys had yet.

"Rachel," Puck managed to choke out. Tears slipped down his cheeks, but he wasn't ashamed of them. This was something incredible. He felt something move and shift inside of him. He was going to be a dad. He had know that, of course, but this was tangible proof. Rachel stroked his arm and made soothing noises. The front door opened and then shut.

"Hey guys, I'm home," Finn called from the living room. He wandered toward their bedroom and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw Puck. Rachel smiled at Finn reassuringly.

"He felt the babies move," she explained. Finn came towards them eagerly.

"Really?" Rachel took his hand and placed it on her stomach. He stared at her stomach with such concentration that Rachel thought maybe he was trying to silently encourage the babies. She laughed and shook her head at him.

"Finn, you'll just have to be patient. Babies work on their own schedule, not ours."

Just then one of the babies kicked at Finn's hand. His grin was blinding and Rachel felt her heart swell for both of her boys. They were both amazing men and she was so happy to have them in her life. They were going to be a family together and it was going to be perfect. She just knew it. Her girls kicked again and she rubbed the spot on her stomach. _We love you too. Now settle down in there._

*glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee*

Dr. Van Zandt shook his head after taking Rachel's blood pressure for the third time. Rachel frowned and her boys echoed that frown.

"What's wrong, doc?" Finn voice was quiet, but the three of them were attuned enough that Puck and Rachel could hear the fear in his voice.

"There are certain risks common to pregnancy and even more that are fairly common to twins or multiples. One of those is preeclampsia or the more dangerous form, which is called toxemia."

"What does that mean?" Puck's voice was just as quiet and laced with the same fear as Finn's had been.

"Well, It's happened fairly late in the pregnancy, which is good. You're at thirty six weeks, Rachel. Whatever happens, if we have to do an emergency C-section at this point there is an excellent chance of survival for both girls."

Rachel felt panic bubbling up in her chest.

"Is that likely?" Her voice was hoarse and both Finn and Puck came to stand by her. Their hands rubbing at her lower back and her shoulders.

"Unfortunately, yes. An emergency C-section is entirely possible. Your blood pressure is too high. You have preeclampsia, but we can't risk it progressing further. I am going to order you on hospital bed rest for the next four weeks. With any luck at all, you'll be able to carry them to term."

Normally, the idea of having absolutely no control over her own life or her own body would horrify Rachel. Finn and Puck stared at the doctor.

"Are you sure," Finn asked cautiously with a glance at Rachel.

"If that's what we have to do to protect the babies, that's what we have to do," Rachel said firmly. "Have Kurt pack a bag for me and one of you can go get it."

Puck nodded and went outside to call Kurt. Finn slid an arm around Rachel and held her against him for a second. He kissed her on the brow.

Rachel was admitted into the hospital quickly and settled into her room. Puck and Finn both felt powerless to do anything. Their girl was tucked into bed and they were given an hour to spend with her, but at the end of that hour they had to leave. Both men kissed her gently and left when they were told.

Their house felt unnaturally quiet and still. Bed was worse. Puck and Finn lay there staring at the ceiling with the empty space between them breaking each of their hearts.

"She's going to be okay, right?" Finn asked quietly.

"Our girl? Yeah. I'm sure she will be. We'll just miss her like crazy and the next four weeks are going to suck on an epic scale."

"Yeah."

_A/N: Now, before I receive any hate mail—I have always tried to keep this as realistic and logical as possible. Preeclampsia and Toxemia do exist and are dangerous to both mother and child (or children). Pregnancies of twins or other multiples are at a greater risk for these illnesses and one of the most common treatments is hospital ordered bed rest. As Dr. Van Zandt pointed out, Rachel is far enough along that the survival of the twins is highly probable if they were forced to do an emergency C-section._


	13. Doing Time in the Hospital

_A/N: I know that if people knew where I lived IRL, they'd probably be camped on my doorstep right now. I apologize for not having updated this story much, much sooner. I was working on another story that would NOT leave me alone. This story wasn't pushing me (maybe because constricted Rachel is cranky). Anyway, I did not abandon you and I grovel profusely for making you all wait so darn long. _

Rachel survived her long incarceration in the hospital rather better than her poor boys and her friends. She had her moments of supreme crankiness. She may or may not have thrown a temper tantrum or two. Eventually, she settled into a routine that worked for her and for the hospital staff. She was sitting up in bed reading when Lauren popped her head in.

"Hey there! Kurt said you hadn't popped yet so I stopped by to say hello. Have you been watching my show?" Lauren was upbeat and smiling.

"Yes! Oh my goodness! Does your assistant _really_ talk to you like that?" Rachel asked.

"Heck Yes," Lauren said, nodding for emphasis, "one of the reasons I hired her. I need someone who can shoot the straight poop, as mom used to say."

"Well she definitely does that," Rachel murmured with wide eyes.

"Here, she actually got you this," Lauren handed Rachel two pink onesies with a gold star in the middle of each.

"How cute! Tell her thank you very much."

"How are your boys doing?" Lauren asked.

"Not so well. They visit every single day. I keep telling them that it will be any day now. My due date is next week. My dads are coming up here then because they said that sometimes first babies are late."

Rachel didn't mention that she had had several long conversations with her babies and made sure that they understood that Mommy wanted out of the hospital ASAP. There was an energetic kick from one of the girls and Rachel absently rubbed at the spot on her swollen belly. Even though her due date was next week, she felt like there was an eternity between now and then. She wanted her babies here already so that she could hold and cuddle them. Take walks with them. See the outside world maybe.

"Have you guys picked out names for the babies yet?"

"Kind of, but it's sort of a secret. We don't want to start fights with the families; we want to present them with fait accompli."

"That sounds like a safe plan. Probably less blood shed that way," Lauren said with a smile.

Rachel, Puck and Finn had agonized for weeks over names for their daughters. They wanted to honor Hebraic naming traditions, but at the same time Rachel wanted to incorporate her beloved Broadway. Finally, after arguments, vetoes and numerous votes they had settled on two names. Rachel gave a fond smile as she looked across the room, and Lauren hid a smile of her own. The petite brunette looked positively radiant. Her skin was healthy and glowing, she seemed utterly at peace. With one hand resting on her baby belly, she looked like an advertisement for motherhood.

Lauren stayed with Rachel and chatted with her for about an hour and left when Puck and Finn showed up. She hugged and kissed Rachel and promised to visit again soon.

Finn and Puck swooped down on Rachel hugging and kissing whichever bits they could reach. Her boys also each kissed her stomach two times; one for each baby. Finn and Puck settled into their regular routine. One of them rubbed her feet and one of them rubbed her back. They ran and fetched ice chips for her, and later a vegan sorbet. Rachel got up carefully and they helped her walk to the bathroom in her room. She swatted at both of them to leave her alone while she used the bathroom. It was the same thing they'd been doing for five months.

"Um…guys?" Rachel's voice sounded slightly shaky and nervous.

"Yeah?" Puck called out.

"Um…can you call the nurse? I'm leaking." Rachel definitely sounded nervous.

"Leaking?" Finn echoed, his eyes round. He and Puck stared at one another for a long minute and then they both hurried down to the nurses' station. They repeated Rachel's conversation verbatim and the nurses smiled.

"It probably means that her water's broken. Can you call Dr. Van Zandt, Cecilia?" said a blonde nurse who had been assigned to Rachel. Her name was Penny and she hurried down the hall to Rachel's room. The boys followed her. The nurse went into the bathroom and helped Rachel back to bed.

"We're going to have to check and see if you're dilated yet, Dr. Van Zandt will want to know," Penny explained. The boys stood by Rachel's head and held her hands. "Hmmm. Only three centimeters. Well, I guess those girls aren't coming anytime soon."

All three of them let out a collective sigh. Thus began the waiting game. Dr. Van Zandt showed up within an hour. He talked to the nurse, checked Rachel's cervix again and frowned slightly.

"No change in dilation. We'll watch you for a few hours, but if there's still no change I'd like to speed things along with prostaglandin or Pitocin. Before your water broke, your girls were protected by the amniotic fluid. Now that they've lost that protection, they need to come out and the sooner the better. You've carried them to term, so I'm not worried about their ability to thrive outside the womb. However, I have NICU on stand-by, just in case. We're going to put a monitor on your belly so that we can determine if the fetuses begin to go into distress. If that happens, Rachel, we are going to have to take them out as quickly as possible. We may have to do a caesarian if it comes to that." Dr. Van Zandt spoke carefully because he wanted to make sure that Rachel understood everything he was saying to her.

"Okay." Rachel's voice was small and quiet.

"I'm going to need you to sign some paperwork before we can prep you."

"Okay."

"Prep her? Prep her for what?" Puck's voice rose a little in fear. Finn looked at him. _Dude, this is kind of scary. I know, right?_

"An emergency caesarian. It will be fine, boys. Don't worry," Rachel said calmly. Her brown eyes were gentle and loving. Both men felt their hearts pound. She spoke so calmly, but what if she were wrong? What if something happened? It didn't bear thinking about. They each kissed her on the cheek and then let the doctor and nurses move around her. A male nurse named Andrew showed them where to change into scrubs. They didn't say anything because they were too afraid to say anything. This was really real. It was happening. Finn thought that he might throw up. He swallowed hard and looked at Puck. They fist bumped. They were going to see this through, no matter what.

Rachel looked even smaller than usual when they went back into the room. There was an array of scientific looking paraphernalia that hadn't been there before and it seemed to dwarf her in her hospital bed. The hours crawled by so slowly that Puck thought he might scream.

Dr. Van Zandt came in to check up on Rachel again. He frowned at her.

"Rachel? Rachel?" He gently shook her shoulder. She opened her eyes with difficulty and tried to focus on him, but it appeared to take all of her effort.

"Hmmm?"

"What's wrong with her Doctor?" Finn asked. Fear gripped him tightly.

"It's the preeclampsia. Nurse? Where's that anesthesiologist? We need to get her prepped NOW."

Puck and Finn huddled at Rachel's head and tried to stay out of everyone's way. They were too afraid to bother anyone at the moment because they knew how critical it was that all of the medical staff's attention be focused on their girl. The anesthesiologist arrived. He spoke quietly and calmly to Rachel who just nodded or murmured assent to his questions. She seemed to be so out of it. The anesthesia worked quickly.

"Finn? Puck?"

"We're right here, baby girl."

"Don't leave!"

"We won't if you don't," Finn muttered. Her hands reached for them. Each man took a hand and held it.

"Okay guys, we need to move her into the OR," Dr. Van Zandt said gently. Puck and Finn nodded and carefully put her hands down. They followed everyone into the OR. One of the nurses made sure they scrubbed and put on gloves and masks. Finn resolutely refused to watch the caesarian, while Puck could not help but watch it. The first tiny wriggling baby was lifted into the air and she screeched in protest at the cold.

"See, Finn, she sounds like her mom already," Puck tried to joke. Finn turned at the sound of their daughter's angry cry and felt his eyes tear. The nurses washed her quickly and let Finn cut the cord. They bundled her up and placed her in his arms. The next baby made her presence known with another angry cry in protest of this cold place that was nothing like her home of nine months. She was soon clean, Puck cut the cord this time and then he was holding his daughter. A tear splashed on to the baby's forehead. She screeched and shook her fist at him. Puck chuckled and kissed the baby's forehead.

"Sorry about that, baby. I didn't mean to get you all wet."

"She's just born and already she has you wrapped around her finger," observed Finn with a laugh. "She is definitely just like her mama."

Puck stuck his tongue out at Finn. It was all he really could do since his arms were filled with baby. Then again, so were Finn's. He looked at his other daughter in Finn's arms, and Finn did the same.

"Our girls," whispered Finn in awe.

"Our girls," Puck agreed.

They had decided a long time ago, that it truly didn't matter who the biological father was because both Finn and Puck were the father. They would share the responsibility of raising these girls, and that was what truly mattered—not whose sperm had fertilized the egg. Cleaning up puke at 3 a.m., changing diapers, going to birthday parties and on field trips. That was what made a daddy.

***glee*** ***glee*** ***glee*** ***glee*** ***glee***

Rachel lay in her hospital bed with both girls in her arms. Puck and Finn were sitting next to her with besotted looks upon their faces. She felt pretty besotted herself every time she looked at her beautiful girls. Her regular nurse Penny ushered in a hospital employee who smiled at everyone.

"Hi, my name is Patricia and I'm the hospital registrar. I'm here to take little footprints and do the hospital birth certificates for the babies." She pulled out her forms and looked them over carefully.

"Okay so let's do this one first. What name have you picked out?"

"This is Miriam Patricia Berry," Puck announced proudly. They hadn't wanted a fight over what last name the girls would have so they had decided on Rachel's last name. The registrar carefully wrote down all the information and took the baby's footprints.

"And this is Sarah Liza Berry," announced Finn proudly.

Each girl had received a Jewish first name. Sarah had been one of Finn's grandmothers and one of Rachel's. Miriam was Puck's great grandmother. The middle names honored both Liza Minelli and Patti LuPone who had been huge influences on Rachel as a young girl. Rachel hadn't told the boys out loud, but she had told herself that they could pick the middle names for any boys they might have. Someday. In the future. Whoever talked about the pain of childbirth completely forgot about the after the childbirth pain. It hurt to sit up. It hurt to stand up and sit down. It hurt in general.

Rachel and her daughters were announced fit and healthy and released a few days later. Puck and Finn were so relieved to have Rachel home that they got up with her every single time the girls cried. Sometimes they just wanted to be held or jiggled. Sometimes they wanted to be fed. They quickly learned that neither Puck nor Finn had anything to offer in that department. Birth announcements were sent out to all of their family and friends. Rachel's dads showed up at their apartment completely chagrined that they had missed the birth of their grandbabies.

Sarah and Miri (as she soon came to be called) were beautiful, happy babies. They slept in the same crib at night because their mommy had read a lot of baby books while she was in the hospital, and many of them suggested this for twins. They were perfect and healthy and they brought a lot of joy to their parents.

Puck and Finn were walking their girls in a double stroller and shopping for Rachel's birthday present. They were giving mommy some well-deserved peace and quiet for a few hours. It had taken them a while to figure out what they wanted to give her and finally they knew.

"Hey, remember that necklace we gave her for that first Valentine's Day way back in high school?" Puck had asked one day.

"Yeah, she loved that thing. Whatever happened to it?" Finn said.

"I'm not sure. Anyway, what about this?" Puck showed Finn a drawing he'd made.

"Yes! She'll love it!"

So here they were pushing a stroller and looking for the store that they'd contacted online. They received smiling glances from several of the people on the street.

"Dude." Puck said.

"What?" Finn looked at the babies first and then at Puck. That was always his first response now. First, check and make sure the babies are okay. Everything else came second.

"Everyone thinks that we're a couple."

Finn watched the bypassers on the street watching him and Puck with the girls. He realized that Puck was right. Finn shrugged.

"Oh well." He said finally.

"Oh well?" Puck asked in surprise.

"We don't have time to explain the truth to everyone we meet on the street. On top of that, the truth is just weird enough that they'd think we were crazy."

"That's true," Puck agreed finally.

"Hey, there's the shop, I think." Finn pointed at a small shop.

"Yeah, that's it."

Finn opened the door so that Puck could wheel the stroller in. The lady behind the counter smiled at them both.

"Hi, how can I help you?"

"I special ordered a necklace under the name Puckerman," Puck answered her.

"Oh yes! I have that right here," the woman took a box out from behind the counter. She opened it carefully and showed it to both Finn and Puck. It was similar to the necklace they'd found for Rachel all those years ago. It had three interlocking hearts, but the middle heart (the Rachel heart) had two tiny heart shaped charms. Both men grinned at each other. She was going to love this. They knew their girl well enough by this time to know that this necklace would earn them major Rachel points.

"It's perfect," Puck and Finn said in unison, and then laughed. They paid for the necklace and had the saleswoman gift wrap it for them.

"We still have to go to the photography studio, right?" Finn asked as he checked his phone.

"Yeah, we're not late yet, Finn. It'll be fine."

The boys had decided that the perfect birthday present for Rachel from her girls would be their first professional photographs. They contacted a photographer that specialized in babies and they had discussed what they wanted for Rachel. Their appointment was that afternoon. They fed and changed Sarah and Miri who were both in very good moods. They gurgled and cooed at their daddies and waved chubby fists in the air. Puck blew raspberries on Sarah's tummy and she squealed and tried to grab his ears. Finn bounced Miri on his knee and she grinned toothlessly at him. Both men were completely ensnared by their tiny daughters.

The photography session went very well. The photographer managed to get several adorable pictures of Miri and Sarah. Finn and Puck approved the ones they wanted and the photographer promised that they'd be ready in a week.

All in all it had been a productive day and Finn and Puck walked with a happy bounce in their steps. Puck carried the stroller and Finn had a firm grip on both girls as they marched up to their apartment. They breezed into the apartment and swept Rachel up into exuberant hugs and passionate kisses. She blinked several times and looked at each man carefully. They each sported a silly, proud grin. Hmmm.

"What have you two been up to?" She asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," Puck said nonchalantly. "Can't two guys just show their mutual affection for the mother of their children?"

"And the love of their lives," Finn added.

"Nice save," Rachel said with a pointed look at Puck who shrugged and kissed the top of Rachel's head.

"Sorry, shorty. You are, you know."

"I know." Rachel said quietly with a smile.

*glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee*

"Kurt, is it wrong to be disgustingly happy?" Rachel asked one day over lunch. Kurt looked up from his deconstructed salad and frowned for minute.

"I don't think so, Rachel. Remember all the years you spent trying to pretend that Puck and Finn weren't exactly what you needed or wanted? You were miserable. Successful as hell, but miserable." Kurt said slowly. Rachel nodded.

"So being successful as hell and having the boys and Sarah and Miri is okay?" She persisted.

"Why the hell not? What I am about to tell you I will deny until my dying breath. Rachel, honey, success is wonderful, but it only takes you so far. Success doesn't keep you warm at night and it sure as hell doesn't give a damn if you're happy. Love is what matters. Love in all its many forms. You have friends, two men who love you so much it's sort of sickening and two beautiful little girls. On top of that, Margaret told me about your latest offers. I think you have every right to be disgustingly happy and I also think it's about time."

Rachel gave him a blindingly brilliant smile.

"I think so, too." She said.

_A/N: I know that as far as the PBF stories go, this is a very brief chapter. I apologize for the brevity, but I wanted to share what was going on in PBF-land. I will now commence the next chapter. I will not and can not promise that it will be extra long. I will do my best. _


	14. Rachel's Birthday

Rachel moved through the apartment singing one of the songs from her animated movie. A huge company that specialized in family movies :cough: Disney :cough: had desperately wanted the new "it girl" Rachel Berry as their star's voice. In a creative departure from the sequels upon sequels that they had been doing, the company decided to do its version of the Russian fairytales of Vasilisa the Wise and Baba Yaga. Of course, being a huge corporation they had cared more about marketability than precision, and they decided to have Vasilisa also be the Firebird. Rachel rolled her eyes at that, but the song-writing team they'd chosen was a top-notch Broadway duo that had won several tonys for several legendary Broadway productions. Ultimately, it had worked well and Rachel was actually pretty proud of the movie. At least Sarah and Miri could watch it, which was more than she could say for Artistic Explosion.

Puck and Finn had been wildly supportive of this movie because their girl was not stark naked in movie theaters across the nation. When they'd actually seen the movie, they loved it even more. Vasilisa had reminded them of their girl quite a bit.

"Did the writers talk to you before they wrote some of your dialogue," Puck asked curiously. "Because that Vasilisa chick sounded an awful lot like you."

"It was kind of weird," Finn agreed. Rachel laughed at both of them.

"Yes, actually, they did talk to me a little bit. You also have to remember that I read for them, and they got a feel for my diction and inflections. So are you jealous of the handsome Ivan?"

"Hmph," Puck grunted. He wrapped a possessive arm around Rachel and pulled her against his side.

"You were breast-feeding between recording sessions," Finn said with a frown. "He'd have to be kind of a prick to hit on somebody who's obviously got a baby daddy stashed somewhere."

"I'm teasing you both," Rachel said with another laugh. "Greg, the guy who did the voice for Ivan, is a very nice man, and he's happily married with three kids. He did this movie because he knew his kids would love it. By the way, we're going to have dinner with Greg and his wife when we go to LA for the premiere."

"What about Sarah and Miri?" Puck asked.

"We're taking them with us, of course," Rachel replied. "Auntie Tana and Auntie Britt begged me to let them babysit during the premiere."

"Sounds like a good plan," Finn said.

"Of course it is, baby," Rachel said with a satisfied smile. "It was mine. Don't listen to Santana tell you anything different."

"You got it, shorty," Puck said.

Rachel shook her head and came back to the here and now. The premiere wasn't until next year, but her birthday was in just a couple days. Rachel continued to sing until she heard fussing from the girls' room. She sailed in and picked up little Miri who'd been the one fussing.

"Did you hear mommy singing?" Rachel cooed at her daughter.

She cuddled Miri close and swayed lightly with her in her arms. She sang quietly as she stroked Miri's back. The baby quickly stopped fussing and laid her head on her mother's shoulder. Rachel looked back into the crib and saw that Sarah was watching her with wide eyes. Rachel scooped up Sarah and carrying both girls, she went to sit in the large padded rocker that was set up by the window. Rachel rocked and sang to the girls who snuggled up against their mother trustingly.

When Puck came home that evening, he found all three girls asleep together in the rocker. He smiled and gently lifted Sarah out of her mother's arms. Rachel frowned in her sleep and her eyes opened. When she saw Puck with Sarah in his arms she smiled up at him.

"Did you have a nice nap, shorty?" Puck whispered so as not to wake the girls. Rachel stuck her tongue out at him.

"Why yes I did. Come on, we need to feed the girls anyway."

Both babies were secured into their high chairs. Puck carefully spooned oatmeal into Miri's mouth and Rachel fed Sarah. Both girls drummed their heels against high chair and tried to grab the spoon.

"When is Finn going to be home?" Puck asked.

"3 a.m., I think. That's what his schedule said." Rachel was concentrating on keeping the oatmeal in Sarah and not all over the front of her shirt.

Just then, Puck's phone rang. He answered it while continuing to feed Miri. Rachel felt a silly smile forming on her lips. For all of his fears, Puck had taken to fatherhood as though he'd been doing it for years. Rachel carefully wiped Sarah's face and hands, then she picked up Sarah and began to expertly pat her back until the baby released gas. She unbuttoned her shirt and soon Sarah was happily nursing. _Greedy little pig_, Rachel thought fondly as her daughter made happy grunting noises. Meanwhile, Puck was cleaning Miri's face and hands. She had seen her sister nursing and was completely incensed that they were trying to pawn off oatmeal on her. She started to fuss in her chair because her daddy wasn't moving fast enough for her. Puck handed her over to Rachel and soon both girls were tucked against Rachel and making happy piggy baby noises. Rachel began to sing softly to them and Puck absently rubbed the back of her neck while he spoke on the phone.

*glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee*

It was morning. Rachel's eyes snapped open and she stared at the ceiling. What had woken her up? She strained to listen to the girls. Had they fussed, and somehow her mommy senses were tingling? She realized she was alone in the bed and she sat up and leaned against the pillows. A delicious scent wafted into the bedroom and a huge grin spread across her face. It was her birthday, and her boys were making her breakfast. From the smell, she would guess vegan pancakes, or waffles. Rachel snuggled down into the bed and pretended that she was still asleep, but she couldn't stop smiling.

Finn opened the door and carefully carried in a tray with a vase of roses, vegan pancakes, coffee and a fresh fruit salad. Puck followed carrying both of the girls. Rachel beamed at all of them.

"Oh my goodness! That looks delicious you guys. Thank you."

"Happy Birthday!" The boys said in unison. They each leaned down and kissed her good morning. Rachel kissed them back and then kissed each baby on the cheek. They both were trying to reach for Rachel's breakfast. Puck handed off Miri to Finn.

"Hey there, wild baby," Finn gently teased his daughter. "That is mommy's breakfast and it's her birthday."

When Rachel finished, the boys whisked away the tray and the babies played on the bed with their mother.

"It's mommy's birthday," she told them with a smile. "Can you say happy birthday?"

Sarah squealed and Miri laughed and clapped her hands. Her boys returned and each one held a package. Puck's was tiny and seemed jewelry-box sized. Finn's package was large and flat and Rachel couldn't imagine what it might hold. Puck held out his first.

"This is from Finn and me," he told her with a strange look in his eye.

Rachel took the box from him and carefully unwrapped it. Nestled inside the jewelry box was a necklace similar to the one the boys had given her back in high school. She smiled and tears sprang to her eyes. She hadn't thought about that necklace in some time. It had either been stolen or gotten lost when she was at Eastman. At the time, she had seen it as some sort of melodramatic omen about their relationship ending. She traced the interlocking hearts with the tips of her fingers.

"See Rachel?" Puck lifted the necklace so that she could see the two tiny heart charms that hung off of the middle heart. He carefully placed it around her neck and fastened it. Rachel reached up and touched the hearts.

"Oh Noah," she whispered before she flung herself into Puck's arms. She wept into his shirt and Puck rubbed her back in soothing circles. She turned and looked at Finn who looked uncertain.

"You like it, right?" Finn asked cautiously. Rachel nodded because she didn't trust her voice. She pulled Finn close so that she could wrap her arms about his neck and hug him. She cleared her throat.

"I love it. It's the most beautiful necklace I've ever seen." She said.

Finn handed her the large flat package he'd been holding. Rachel tore off the wrapping paper and gasped with surprise and pleasure. It was a large black and white print of her daughters.

"Oh! You sneaky men! Oh, I love it! Let's put it up in the living room," Rachel said.

She rose and headed out to the living room with the large framed picture in her arms. Puck and Finn followed with the twins in their arms. Rachel was rearranging the decorations on the wall until she'd made a spot for her present. Finn set Sarah down in her play pen and went to grab his hammer and a couple nails. Rachel stood back and watched Finn. It was perfect. The doorbell rang and Rachel went to answer it with a happy smile on her face. Her smile grew wider when she saw who was standing in the hall.

"Kurt! Blaine! What are you two doing here?" Rachel hugged both men and then moved so they could enter the apartment.

"Happy Birthday, sweetie," Kurt said with a smile for his best friend.

"Happy Birthday, Rachel." Blaine said as he handed her a beautifully wrapped package.

"What is this?" Rachel asked with a curious look at Blaine. Kurt shook his head and laughed.

"It's nowhere near as fabulous as _my _present, believe me." He said with smug assurance.

"Where is it?" Rachel asked. Kurt wasn't holding anything.

"I'm babysitting tonight so that your boys can take you out to dinner," Kurt explained with a smile.

"Oh that is fabulous," Rachel exclaimed. She hugged Kurt tightly.

Rachel loved her daughters, and loved spending time with them, but it was nice to spend time with her boys, too; she had known too many women who forsook their relationships with their spouses out of a misguided belief that all time should be spent with their children. A great number of those women were now single, or trapped in marriages that bore the title, but had none of the benefits of such a union. Rachel strongly believed that her daughters only benefitted from spending time with their Uncle Kurt and Uncle Blaine, Grandpa and Grandma Hummel, Grandma Puckerman and Nana Puckerman and her dads. Her daughters were the most well-loved babies she knew; they were surrounded by people that loved them.

"Speaking of which, where are my favorite nieces in the whole world?" Kurt asked.

Puck and Finn brought out Miri and Sarah, who were dressed in their going bye-bye outfits. It was December, so both girls were bundled up in little baby Gucci snowsuits (a present from Uncle Blaine who spoiled them shockingly). Puck handed over two carefully stocked diaper bags. When the girls spotted Blaine and Kurt they started squealing and bouncing in their daddies arms. Miri held out her arms.

"Ku-Ku!" She shrieked. Puck and Finn started laughing, but Kurt started to tear up.

"Did she just say my name?" he asked in awe.

"As close as she can get," Rachel said with a smile. "At least it's better than poor Uncle Blaine. I was talking to Finn and Puck about Blaine's upcoming Christmas party and I swear that Sarah said 'Bleh'."

Kurt cuddled his niece close and kissed her on the cheek. She laughed at him and tried to pull his hair. Kurt wasn't telling anyone, but he used these babysitting experiences shamelessly. He was hoping that the idea of a family might encourage Blaine to think along those lines for them. That and he absolutely adored his nieces. He wasn't quite sure yet if the girls took after Puck or Finn or Rachel. Maybe when they got a little older, they might be able to tell.

"Open your present, Rachel," Blaine encouraged. "We have plans for our little princesses, and we have to leave soon."

"Plans?" Rachel frowned slightly. "What plans?"

"Nothing to worry about, Rachel. Dad and Mom are coming up for Christmas and we're going to meet them at the airport. They are so excited to see how much the girls have grown." Kurt explained.

"They're early, aren't they? Mom said they weren't coming till next week," Finn said with a frown.

"Mom couldn't wait any longer," Kurt said with a laugh. "It was supposed to be a surprise for you guys, but I knew Rachel would flip out if she didn't know where we were. Just…pretend to be surprised tomorrow at dinner, okay? Make Mom happy."

"I am a performer," Rachel said with a toss of her hair. "Besides, I think it's kind of cute they wanted to surprise us."

"Open your present. Please?" Blaine gave her puppy eyes.

Rachel laughed and carefully opened his present. Her eyes widened in shock. In the box was a charm bracelet, but it was one of the most beautiful she'd ever seen. Each tiny charm was exquisitely crafted. She saw a tiny bird and she realized it was supposed to be a firebird; then Rachel looked more carefully at the other charms. Each one represented something that she had done with the arts; there was a music note, a ballet slipper, and a theater mask. But there were other charms that represented individual roles she'd performed throughout her career. The thought and planning that had gone into this present made Rachel's eyes fill with tears.

"Oh, Blaine," Rachel whispered. Finn took the bracelet and put it on her wrist because Blaine was holding Sarah.

"So you like it?" Blaine's voice was anxious. He always had to tread a careful line when it came to Kurt and Kurt's family (which had by default included Rachel since high school). If he went too over the top with his gifts, Kurt would get upset with him. Rachel had always held a very special spot in Kurt's heart and Blaine had grown to love the petite brunette very much. It was important to him that she liked his present.

"Oh, Blaine," Rachel repeated. She carefully hugged and kissed him so that she didn't squish Sarah, but she squeezed his arm tightly. "I love it. I love all of the presents everyone got me. All of you put such thought and such care into these gifts. Thank you, thank you all."

Finn and Puck hugged her between them because they could see that she was about to start crying, she was that happy.

"Okay, take the babies and run," Puck said with a laugh. "We've got reservations and we need to get Rachel to them."

"Them?" Rachel frowned.

"Yup," Finn said. "You have a day at the spa and we'll come pick you up for dinner."

"_The_ spa? This is the City Finn, there are a ton of spas." Rachel frowned further.

"That one you and Kurt were talking about," Puck waved his hand vaguely.

"You got her an appointment at _Nalani_? How on earth did you manage that?" Kurt was shocked and Rachel looked stunned. Nalani was new, chic and incredibly exclusive. I was impossible to get an appointment there. Kurt had been complaining about that very thing just the other day.

"How did you manage that," Blaine asked in surprise. He'd tried to get Kurt an appointment, and failed miserably. Puck and Finn grinned.

"Margaret helped," Finn said. Margaret was Rachel's agent and she knew _everyone_ in New York, which was sort of her job.

"Did you have to hock one of our babies?" Rachel asked in suspicion.

"No! We would never!" Puck was affronted.

"Believe it or not, Rachel, Margaret likes and respects you," Finn said. "She said not to tell anyone, but you're her favorite."

"Okay, I'm officially jealous. I'm going to have a serious chat with my agent," Kurt said finally.

"We have to go, Kurt," Blaine said gently. They gathered up the diaper bags and Puck and Finn followed them out with the girls' car seats.

Rachel went to her room to dress for the spa and pack a bag with her clothes for tonight. She hummed happily while she grabbed her favorite shoes and the dress she'd planned to wear tonight. Her charm bracelet on her wrist made a chink-chink noise as she moved and she smiled to herself. She felt so loved, so adored, that her heart felt full to overflowing. _I am the luckiest girl in the world_, she thought to herself.

*glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee*

Rachel was laying in the middle of her bed with her head on Puck's belly and Finn's head on her belly. She couldn't get rid of the ridiculously happy smile on her face. Finn turned his head to the side and nipped her hip. Rachel squealed and swatted him on the arm. Puck's fingers closed around a breast and he teased her nipple to a point. She wriggled and soon the boys were tickling her.

"Stop! Stop," she gasped, laughing. Both boys immediately stopped and sat back, watching her.

Finn pulled her into his lap and kissed her deeply. Puck moved closer, and as soon as Finn released her lips, he captured them. Rachel moaned into Puck's mouth as Finn began to tease and caress her body.

"Again?" She asked breathlessly.

"It's your birthday, baby girl," Puck said softly against her ear. "You can surrender any time you like."

"Never," she vowed.

"Well all right then," Finn murmured against the inside of her thigh. Rachel gave a low moan of pleasure as the boys carefully laid her back down on the bed.

*glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee*

_Three weeks later. _

It was mid-morning, and Rachel was late for a meeting with the people in charge of the Firebirds' premiere. She growled in frustration under her breath. She hated being late and she hated having to leave Puck, Finn and the girls at home. She was at Houston Airport and she was trying to get a connecting flight to LAX. She'd missed her earlier flight with a connection in Indianapolis and now she was stuck in a strange airport hoping for a connecting flight. The airline people had her on standby, but it might be as long as 24 hours. The woman behind the counter suggested that she go get a shower and a nap at one of the nearby hotels. They would call her immediately, as soon as they had news for her.

The shuttle took her to several nearby hotels and let her off. Rachel got a room, and took a shower. She changed into jeans and a t-shirt because she had a feeling that she would be far more comfortable that way. She called the boys, but she just got voicemail.

"Hey…it's me…I'm missed my flight. It's a long story, but I'll explain it later. I love you." Rachel left the message on both phones.

Patience had never been one of Rachel's strong suits. She laid in bed and stared at the ceiling for a while, but soon she groaned and sat up. She got all of her things and went back to the airport, but the airline still had nothing for her. _You know what? Fine! Just, fine, _Rachel thought. She marched to the car rental places and rented a little two-door car. She could not stand being in the airport for even one more second.

A couple days later and Rachel was stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire and hopelessly lost. To make matters worse, she had lost her cell phone somewhere. She honestly wasn't even sure what state she was in. She ended up walking to the nearest town. She didn't dare hitch-hike because even if nothing happened to her, everyone would flip out on her. Her feet were sore, she was sweaty, dirty and tired. The town was on the small side if you were used to New York, but it was a pretty good size town. Rachel tried to get a room in a motel and got a nasty shock.

"We don't serve _your_ _kind _here," the desk clerk sneered at her across the counter.

"Excuse me?" Rachel drew herself straight up and lifted her chin.

"You heard me. You should go back to your own country," the desk clerk spat on the floor and Rachel felt ill. She turned and left.

Rachel wandered around aimlessly for a little while. Finally, she ended up at a little drug store where she bought some ibuprofen. The cashier suggested a decent hotel that she might stay at so she followed her careful directions. She ended up turned around at some point and she passed in front of a bar several times, looking for the right street.

"Hey you stupid bitch, can't you figure out where your damn country is?" A nasty, drunken voice called out to her. Rachel whirled around, and then everything went black.

*glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee*

The first thing she remembered was pain. Every time she woke up, it hurt. She couldn't cry out though because that hurt worse. She made a sort of whimpering noise instead. Then the angels would come and they would pat her with their dark hands and murmur soothingly to her and the pain would stop. Eventually, she realized that she didn't understand anything the angels were saying, but she supposed that maybe that was just the way it was. They tried to speak slowly and carefully to her, but she would just shake her head very slightly because that hurt, too, and tears would slide down her cheeks. It was sometime after that that she realized that she couldn't speak. That upset her even more. One day, a new angel came. She was small and dark like the others, but when she spoke it made sense.

"Can you understand me?"

She gave a slight nod, the best she could do.

"You were really badly beaten. We didn't think you were going to make it at first, but you did. However," here the angel trailed off and she looked sad, "the damage was…extensive. Your jaw is wired shut because the bone was shattered. There was some head trauma as well. Do you know your name?"

She shook her head slightly. The angel sighed.

"You didn't have any identification with you when you were admitted. I can guess that you're from the States, but you could just as easily be from Canada, the U.K. or Australia. Do any of those sound right?"

She gave a tiny shrug. She honestly didn't know. None of those sounded familiar, nothing jumped out at her. She didn't even know what her name was. She sighed heavily. The nurse gave her a sympathetic smile.

"We'll figure it out, I promise. I am Madalena. There is another nurse here who is fluent in English, but she works nights. Her name is Yolanda. Just give it a little more time."

Madalena had not been kidding when she said the damage was extensive. Her left arm, her right leg, a couple fingers, her jaw, and several ribs were broken. Her head had suffered severe trauma. She had bruises everywhere, but especially around her throat. She had internal organ damage as well. She later learned that the doctors were shocked when she made through the surgeries required to stop the internal bleeding. She hadn't been raped. That was the only positive thing anyone could think to say. She had come very, very close to dying on the operating table more than once. She had died, technically, at one point, but they were able to bring her back.

She would sit sometimes and stare out the window and try to figure out why someone had done this to her. Had it been someone she knew? Why was she in Mexico? Did she live here? Was she visiting? Was she married? Did she have children? All of that raced through her mind, but she couldn't find any answers for herself. Sometimes Madalena or Yolanda would come to check on her and they'd find her crying with frustration.

It took months for her to get well enough that she could speak and eat on her own. She still didn't know who she was and she was terrified about what would happen to her when she was well and the hospital had to release her. Madalena patted her hand reassuringly.

"Don't you worry," she said with smile and a nod for her charge. "We are not going to throw you into the street. Have you chosen a name yet?"

"I thought about it a long time," she said slowly. She waved to a baby name book that someone had given her, hoping it might jog her memory. "None of those made me think of anything. Then last night, I couldn't sleep and Yolanda found a movie on that was in English. It was called _West Side Story_, have you ever seen it?"

Madalena nodded.

"So…I think I like Maria. What do you think?" She had loved the character Maria almost instantly. There was something that seemed incredibly familiar about her. She had the feeling that she'd seen that movie before, and that she'd liked it. It was the first time she'd felt that way about anything. Madalena pursed her lips in thought.

"You know, I like it," Madalena said finally. "Maria it is."

A couple more months and Maria was ready to be released. She and Madalena had grown to be friends and Madalena offered Maria a room at her mother's house.

"Mama usually rents it out, but the last girl just got married so it's empty right now. Mama's getting old so if you help her around the house, help her shop, that will be your room and board. You are still healing and you can't handle a regular job just yet. Your leg still hurts sometimes, I can tell. You move sort of like an old woman, kind of stiff and hunched over. You and mama will make a good pair."

"Thank you," Maria said with tears in her eyes. This was kindness she had never expected. Madalena was right, her leg did hurt sometimes. What Madalena didn't say because she was too nice, was that Maria's face would probably scare off any potential employers. Her head trauma _had_ _been _pretty severe and she had some shiny new scars to prove it. Yolanda had said that if she was careful and used the medications and lotions they told her to, the scars would probably fade. It seemed like a lot of hope to pin on probably, but Maria did anyway.

Madalena's mama was kind and gentle and everything Maria could have hoped for. She sucked in her breath in shock the first time she saw Maria's face.

"Oh, _pobrecita_," she clucked maternally, "who would do such a thing?"

"I don't know," Maria answered her sadly.

They quickly fell into an easy routine. Maria helped Madalena's mother, Mrs. Alvarez, and Mrs. Alvarez taught her how to cook Mexican food and speak Spanish. Mrs. Alvarez was actually from Galicia in Spain so she insisted on teaching Maria Castillian Spanish.

"You want to sound smart, intelligent at job interviews, _si_? You must speak properly then. It is the same in the States, is it not?"

"_Si_, _señora Alvarez_," Maria responded cheekily.

"Oh, shush," Mrs. Alvarez waved at her. "You behave and come help me make tamales, okay?"

Maria liked Mrs. Alvarez and she liked Madalena, but that did not stop her from crying herself to sleep at night. She heard them talking about her once when they thought she was asleep. Mrs. Alvarez had made a sort of sigh and she had said that it was a terrible shame, because it was easy to see that Maria must have been very beautiful. Madalena had agreed. She said that she and the other nurses hadn't realized it at first because she was so badly beaten, but eventually they had decided that Maria must have been a great beauty. Maria had cried silently that night.

It had been almost a year since the accident when Maria was doing well enough, and she had become fluent enough in Spanish to get a job. The scars had faded for the most part. Mrs. Alvarez' mother-in-law had had a secret unguent that helped get rid of scars and it had helped enormously, but Maria's injuries had been extensive. Her leg hardly pained her at all anymore, but on rainy days it would ache. She was an odd-looking little woman, with her slight limp and her scarred face, but she was well-spoken so a local resort hired her to work in housekeeping. She was not the sort of person anyone would put on the front desk. That was reserved for beautiful young women who were fluent in several languages (usually German and Japanese were chief among them).

Maria was intelligent and ambitious and she moved up quickly within the hotel hierarchy. Soon, she was head of housekeeping. She was organized and meticulous, which made her employers love her. No one really asked her about her scarred face, or her slight limp because it seemed like an incredibly rude thing to do. It was easy to see that those things still bothered her. Maria never looked in mirrors if she could help it. She had a slightly odd gait because she tried to hide her limp.

*glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee*

"Senorita Alvarez? Can you come to the front counter, please?" The girl on the front desk was new and Maria could hear the panic in her voice. There was an angry voice in the background, which sounded American. Maria sighed heavily. She had so much to do today, it wasn't funny.

"Si. I'll be right there," Maria said shortly. Her limp was a little more pronounced today because it was raining and she had been incredibly busy all morning. She was tired and she was sore and she wanted to go home and lie down. She used Mrs. Alvarez' last name at the hotel because she had to use something, and Madalena and Mrs. Alvarez agreed that was best.

There was a big American woman at the counter waving her hands and arguing with the front desk girl and one of Maria's housekeepers, Belinda. Maria gave another sigh. Belinda was skating on thin ice, and this would most likely be the end of her job at the resort. Maria had already given her three warnings.

"Excuse me, how can I help you?" Maria said in her calmest, most soothing voice. The big American whirled and stared at her in shock. Her jaw dropped and she stood there with her mouth open, unable to speak. Maria limped carefully over to the front counter and then turned so that she was fully facing the upset guest.

"Oh my god," the woman whispered. "_Oh my god_."

"Madam, are you all right," Maria asked cautiously.

"_Rachel?_ It's you, isn't it?" The woman was still whispering and she looked completely stunned. Maria felt a little fissure of fear chase down her spine.

"Do you know me?" Maria was afraid to hope. It had been almost two years since her accident and no one had come forward in all that time.

"What are you talking about? It's me, Lauren." The woman frowned at her. Maria shook her head slowly.

"I'm sorry, I don't know who you are," Maria said sadly. The American started digging in her purse and then held out a photo triumphantly.

"See? That's you and me from three years ago in California."

Maria almost snatched the picture out of her hands and stared at it hungrily. It was indeed the American woman, but that smaller woman next to her…could that be Maria? She was beautiful, just like Mrs. Alvarez had said. Maria felt something. Was it recognition? Or desperate hope? She traced her face lightly. This was a woman who had turned heads, which Maria definitely did not do. She felt tears prick her eyelids. She had lost so much more than her memory, it seemed.

"I'm sorry," Maria said finally with a shake of her head. She handed the picture back. "I don't remember. Were we friends?"

"Yeah. We were friends," the American said with a frown. "What do you mean, you don't remember? Rachel, what are you doing here?"

"Elisa, could you please call Madalena right away and tell her that I need her," Maria asked politely in flawless Spanish. The American woman looked shocked and surprised. Maria gave a bitter smile.

"I take it that I couldn't speak Spanish?" She asked curiously.

"Er…no…you were fluent in French and Hebrew."

"Really? Those are unusual languages around here."

"Rachel…you have to realize that everybody thinks you're dead. I mean…I have to call them all. My god, Kurt is going to flip out."

"Is he my husband?" Maria asked curiously. She'd always wondered if she was married.

"Kurt? No! He's your best friend. Oh. My. God. Puck and Finn…I can't even imagine…I think I'll let Kurt handle that part."

"Wait!" Maria reached out her hand and touched the American woman's arm. She already had her phone in her hand. "You must talk to Madalena first. There's a lot to be explained and I don't know parts of it."

Lauren, the American woman, came with Madalena and Maria to Mrs. Alvarez' house so that they could talk about Maria and this Rachel that she might be. Madalena had brought a huge folder filled with information about all of Maria's injuries.

"When Maria was brought in we had no idea who she was, and she was so badly beaten we weren't sure if she would live through the night. She died once on the operating table and we almost lost her several more times." Madalena listed all of her injuries and showed Lauren pictures. Lauren turned pale and swallowed convulsively.

"Rachel," she whispered in horror, "what _happened_ to you?"

"I don't know," Maria said sadly with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Maria…Rachel…was so badly injured that she couldn't talk. Her jaw was wired shut. It took us two or three months to figure out that she couldn't understand Spanish. When she got well enough to speak we learned that she had suffered memory loss. She saw an old Musical _West Side Story_ and she chose the name Maria. It's taken her a long time to heal and there is some permanent damage," Madalena concluded.

"Please, Rachel sounds…odd…please just call me Maria for now," Maria pleaded. Rachel. Was that her name? She wasn't sure and she was frightened. So much was changing after going so long with nothing.

"Okay," Lauren said slowly. "But I have to call your family. Ra—I mean, Maria, they love you so much, and they have been so worried about you. We just…we assumed you had to be dead. I mean you were never the kind of person to just drop off the face of the earth. You were Rachel Berry, for god's sake."

"My family?" Tears slipped freely down her cheeks. Mrs. Alvarez and Madalena moved to support her and hug her.

"Tu familia," Mrs. Alvarez murmured encouragingly. Madalena squeezed her hand.

"They have missed you," Madalena said firmly giving her a look.

"Okay," Maria said with a shaky sigh. "Okay. Call them."

*glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee*

_A/N: Now there may be people out there wondering if I've lost my damn mind. I haven't. Let me just share this with you. Within the last couple weeks, in the area I live in, a 19 year-old boy was murdered because his murderers thought his last name "sounded Jewish". That's it. A young boy with his whole life ahead of him was senselessly murdered. How do you explain that to his parents? How do you deal with the fact that your child is gone forever because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time? _

_Now obviously, I didn't kill Rachel. However, she's been forever altered because of something stupid and senseless. Someone saw her dark hair, brown eyes, and dusky skin and assumed she was Hispanic. They almost killed her because of it. That kind of hatred is completely incomprehensible to me, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't exist and that it doesn't destroy lives. So I paid homage to a kid who just wanted to come to the local jazz festival and ended up losing his life. I'm sorry if I sound a little angry and bitter, but I sort of feel that way right now, and I can only imagine it's nothing to what his parents are feeling. Maybe I sound silly to you, especially if you are from a more metropolitan area. I will tell you that the city I'm talking about has roughly 10,000 people and murders are fairly uncommon. Something like this—done by strangers for no real reason at all—is unheard of. (Not that there are acceptable reasons for murder.)_


	15. Maria or Rachel

_A/N: Thank you everyone who took the time to comment and/or provide feedback. I apologize for using this space, but one of the reviewers was anonymous so I can't speak to them through private messaging. When you say that the entire story lacks detail, could you be more specific? I'm not sure what you mean by this, so I'm not sure how to address it. For those of you who felt the transition was too abrupt, I apologize. Most of my transitions are fairly abrupt so I didn't think about it at the time I wrote it. I usually use the "*glee*" demarcation to let the reader know that we're segueing into a different section, different P.O.V., that there's a time shift, etc. To those of you who couldn't figure out how she got from Houston to Mexico, I apologize. I said that she drove for two days, got lost and ended up in some town (she wasn't sure where it was). The racist asshole who was responsible for beating her up mentioned more than once that she needed to go back to her own country (which he took to be Mexico). He and persons unknown beat the shit out of her, drove to the border, and dumped her body over. (From Houston to San Fernando, Mexico is only eight hours. She wasn't *in* Houston at that time, but you get the idea. It's not *that* far.) Finally, why don't you the reader get to know the nitty gritty details of all that? Because the story was told from Rachel's P.O.V. and she has amnesia. Even if she didn't have amnesia, she wouldn't have known some of the details because she was unconscious and dying in someone's truck box. You as the reader can only know what the narrator knows, or you can only know what the character knows. Unless you have an omnipotent narrator and you're writing a meta story where it's okay to address the audience. (Which I have never done and don't think I could really pull off all that well.)_

_Anyhow, I hope that helps everyone and I apologize again for writing this huge long letter to you all._

*glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee*

Kurt was sitting at home flipping through a magazine, and trying to decide if he and Blaine wanted to go out for dinner when his phone started ringing. He glanced at the caller id and then frowned in confusion.

"Lauren? I thought you were going to Mexico for a couple weeks."

"Hey, Kurt. Um…are you sitting down?" Lauren voice sounded odd. It was shaky and nervous. Kurt sat up.

"Yes," he said cautiously, "why?"

"I found her. She's here. I mean, I turned around and it was her, and Kurt she's alive!" Lauren started babbling into the phone and the world tilted around him. There could only be one _her_ that would make Lauren this excited. His heart started beating so rapidly it hurt.

"Can I talk to her?" Kurt asked breathlessly. There was a pause and Kurt felt a strange sense of foreboding.

"Um…Kurt. She was really, really badly hurt and there was some head trauma," Lauren began slowly and Kurt felt fear grip him. Of course she'd been hurt. That was the only possible explanation. She never would have willingly left all of them. He'd never believed that Rachel could just leave all of them.

"What are you saying?" He asked quietly.

"She doesn't remember anything before the hospital," Lauren said quietly. "Kurt, it was…I saw pictures…she died on the table Kurt. She barely survived the surgeries to stop the internal bleeding."

"She died on the table? There was internal bleeding? What _happened_ to her?"

"Um…as near as they can tell somebody or somebodies did a really good job of beating her to death. She just refused to die."

"Oh my _god_," Kurt whispered in horror.

"There was…permanent damage," Lauren said in a funny, tight voice.

"Can I talk to her?" Kurt asked again, impatiently. He needed to hear her voice. He needed to know it was her.

"Hang on. Oh, um…she's been going by Maria for about two years now and it feels comfortable to her. Okay?"

"Okay, okay. Put her on the phone," Kurt bit out through clenched teeth.

"Hello?" A soft voice came on the line. Kurt's heart stopped for a moment and he closed his eyes. It was _her_.

"Rachel? I'm sorry. Um…Maria?"

"Yes. You are Kurt?" Her voice was polite, hesitant. He ached in a thousand different ways for the distance between them—not just the physical difference, but the emotional difference inherent in that polite tone.

"Yes. I'm Kurt." He felt like dancing around the apartment, but he continued to sit clutching the phone a little too tightly.

"You are my friend?" She sounded uncertain and slightly shy. Kurt felt his throat grow tight.

"I am your very best friend," he choked out. "Oh, sweetie, I've missed you so much. We all thought…oh! Oh, sweetie, your poor boys. You don't even know…" Kurt couldn't continue without completely breaking down. A few tears slipped down his cheeks.

"I have boys?" Her voice had a pleased note. "How many boys? I have a husband too then?"

"Er…um…your boys are not your children. You do have children. Twin daughters named Sarah and Miriam. They have missed you so much." Kurt was rambling, but he wasn't sure what he should say and what he shouldn't say.

"I have daughters?" Her voice sounded awestruck.

"The most beautiful little girls in the world. They look just like their mama," Kurt babbled. There was a silence on the other end of the line.

"No. No they don't," her voice was sad and Kurt was confused.

"Honey, what are you talking about?"

"Didn't you hear your friend Lauren? There was permanent damage," her voice sounded bitter and slightly defiant. Kurt ached for his friend.

"You will always be beautiful to me," Kurt said quietly. There was an indelicate snort on the other side, and Kurt could not help the small smile that curved his mouth. That sounded like Rachel.

"You have not seen me, yet," her voice was sad.

"Well, let me speak with Lauren. I need to make arrangements to come see you."

As soon as Kurt got off the phone, he pulled on his coat and left the apartment building. On the way to Puck and Finn's he tried to collect himself, but he just kept tearing up. _Rachel__was__alive_. Puck and Finn had been absolutely frantic when she'd gone missing. Margaret had spearheaded a nationwide manhunt for the missing Broadway star, but no trace of her was found. Candlelight vigils had been held by her fans. Sales of her music and movies had gone through the roof. The Firebird became one of the top grossing movies ever. She had won a Grammy for her performance, but she hadn't been there to accept it. Puck and Finn had refused to believe that she was dead, but they couldn't think of any sort of reasonable explanation for her to be missing for two years.

The boys had changed drastically in the last two years. They were exemplary fathers to their daughters, but they rarely smiled. They had both dropped weight and looked haggard. They were both grieving, but they had no closure because they didn't know if Rachel was truly dead or not.

He knocked on their door and Puck answered. Sarah and Miri ran shrieking at him and clutched at both of his legs. Miri looked up at him and frowned, her lower lip jutting out.

"Ku-ku sad?"

"No, baby, Uncle Kurt is really, really happy," Kurt said while tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Kurt? What's going on?" Puck was confused. Why would Kurt be crying and happy? Did he get a role that Finn forgot to tell him about? That had happened before.

"She's alive, Puck. I talked to her, and she's alive." Kurt was beaming and crying at the same time. Puck's stomached flip-flopped. His knees felt weak and he swayed for a second on his feet.

"FINN!" Puck roared and Finn came running out of the kitchen with a dishtowel thrown over one shoulder.

"What? Kurt? What's going on? Is the apartment on fire?" Finn looked slightly panicked. He'd never heard quite that tone before from Puck.

"Tell him," Puck's voice sounded strangled.

"She's alive, Finn. Get packed, we've got to go see her."

Finn and Puck just stood there, stunned. They stared at Kurt with shock.

"You talked to her? Where is she?" Puck asked with a frown. Where had she been all this time? They had looked for her in every place they could think of and then looked everywhere else, too, for good measure.

"Mexico."

"She's in Mexico?" Finn's eyebrows rose. "Why is she in Mexico?"

"She doesn't know."

"What do you mean, she doesn't _know_? That doesn't make any sense at all." Finn said in frustration.

Kurt sat both of them down and told them everything that he knew. When he got to the part about Rachel being beaten to death and dying on the operating table both men turned white. He said horrifying words like internal bleeding, shattered jaw, head trauma and permanent damage. None of those words should have anything to do with Rachel. Ever.

"Permanent damage?" Finn and Puck looked at each other and then turned to Kurt.

"Lauren said that she has a limp and that there's been some…scarring. When I told Rachel…um…Maria…that her daughters were beautiful and that they looked just like her, she contradicted me."

"Maria?"

"She doesn't remember anything before the hospital. She's been living as Maria Alvarez for two years. It's comfortable for her right now."

"Two years," Finn whispered. Puck shook his head. It had been such a long, long time, and to find out that their girl had needed them, needed them desperately, and they had failed her. It didn't matter to Puck that there was no way for him to have known what was happening or what had happened. He should have been there for her.

"We'll have to take the girls to Lima. We shouldn't overwhelm her all at once," Puck said after a minute. Kurt nodded.

"We should take her pictures. Where did you put the photo albums, Puck?" Finn said after a moment. "The pictures might help her."

"Okay, there's just one more teensy problem," Kurt said finally. Both Puck and Finn turned to look at him. They both frowned. They didn't care what the problem was—it wasn't going to keep them from Rachel.

"Which is?" Puck asked drily. There was nothing that was going to stand between them and their girl.

"How are we supposed to explain you two to her?" Kurt asked gently. He knew that Puck and Finn were so single-mindedly focused on Rachel at the moment that they weren't thinking about the fact that she had no idea who they were, let alone that she was living with both of them.

"The photo albums," Finn said firmly. "We've got albums that go all the way back to Middle School. Rachel made most of them herself. We've got boxes of photo albums. We'll take her to Lima. Her dads have tons of videos of her. Not to mention her old MySpace videos of her singing. Puck and I are actually in a ton of them because we were friends for so long."

"Fine. Let me call Blaine and tell him what we're up to," Kurt said.

Despite the fact that this situation was brought about by senseless tragedy, Blaine received his chance to shine. For once, Kurt didn't care about how much anything cost, if it meant they could get Rachel back. Blaine was the only one of them who was thinking clearly enough to remember one other tiny little snag.

"So Rachel doesn't have any papers, does she?" Blaine asked with a frown.

"What papers?" Puck asked in confusion.

"No photo ID, no birth certificate, no passport?" Blaine clarified.

"No…I guess not. They had no clue who she was at the hospital," offered Kurt.

"That means she's in Mexico illegally, but the US won't let her back in without a passport," Blaine mused aloud. Puck and Finn stared at one another in horror. They wouldn't let her back in?

"How can we bring her home then?" Kurt asked worriedly. Blaine smiled at Kurt and patted his arm.

"It's okay. We need to get a replacement passport for her. I just need to talk to the Passport Authority and expedite the process. Even expedited it will take three days," he added for Kurt, Puck and Finn's benefit. He realized that they wouldn't understand the intricacies of dealing with the Passport Authority.

"Three days?" Kurt was frantic. They had to get to Rachel now, damn it!

"Baby, you can't make the Passport Authority move any faster. Trust me. I will do the best I can to get everything taken care of as quickly as possible. Besides, you have to pack the girls and take them to Lima and that will take a day or two. You're going to have to sit down the entire family and explain everything. That will take time as well. I will meet you three in Lima in three days and we will all fly to Mexico and I promise we will bring Rachel home. Okay?" Blaine explained calmly. He could tell that Puck and Finn didn't like it. He could also tell that Kurt wasn't happy about it. Ultimately, they had no choice, so all three men nodded unhappily.

The two little girls were excited about visiting their grandparents and they tried to help pack. Each girl filled her little pink suitcase with toys. Their dads sighed, unpacked the suitcases and then carefully repacked them.

"You can each pick one toy to take with you," Finn said sternly. He held up his index finger for emphasis. "One toy, girls. But hurry because we have to go soon."

"Why we go see all the grandmas and grandpas, Daddy?" Miri asked curiously. Sarah was sucking her thumb and staring at Finn with Rachel's large chocolate eyes. He closed his eyes for a minute and swallowed hard.

"Because Daddy and Abba have to go bye-bye for a couple of days," Puck said with a very serious look on his face. To differentiate between two Dads, Puck had decided to have the girls call him by the Hebrew word for Father. Sarah clung to Puck's leg. He lifted her up and cuddled her against his chest.

"Not bye-bye like Mommy?" Sarah asked fearfully.

"No. Not bye-bye like Mommy. I promise," Puck whispered into her dark curling hair. Sarah clung to his neck for a moment but then she released him.

"Okay. You promise," Sarah said seriously with a tiny Puck-like frown. He kissed her forehead.

Lima was both harder and easier than Finn and Puck had expected. The grandparent collective was thrilled to be able to spend several days with their granddaughters. All of them were excited, scared and worried about what might or might not happen in Mexico. Puck kept fidgeting so much that Finn had to punch him on the arm. They all looked out of the airplane windows and wondered about what was going to happen next.

*glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee*

Mrs. Alvarez' villa was light and airy. That was one of the things that Maria…Rachel, she reminded herself…liked about it. She liked sitting in the tiny courtyard and sipping tamarind water and relaxing in the hot afternoons. She looked at the picture of herself and Lauren again, and traced the face that was hers and not hers. She sat there in a white cotton dress that flattered her golden skin and waited. Madalena lent her a pair of strappy sandals, which actually helped her limp. It ended up looking more like a sultry sway of her hips rather than a limp. If Maria…Rachel were honest with herself she would have to admit that the scars on her face weren't that bad. They had faded a lot and were barely noticeable. However, she did not look like the girl in this picture. Why was that? What was missing? Was the difference that intrinsic something that made her Rachel, and not Maria? She gave a frustrated sigh and frowned at the picture in her hands.

Lauren poked her head out into the courtyard and spotted Rachel almost immediately. She looked up when she heard the door open, her eyes huge in her delicate face. She bit her lips nervously and Lauren smiled encouragingly.

"Rach—er, I mean, Maria, they're here. Will you see them?" Lauren asked. Panic flashed briefly on Rachel's face, but she mercilessly tamped it down.

"Please show them in," she said softly.

Four men entered the small courtyard, which suddenly seemed much smaller. A smaller man was in the lead. He was very handsome, almost pretty, she noted carefully, and he had brilliant blue eyes. There was a taller man hovering protectively near the smaller man with blue eyes. He had black eyes and black, curly hair. The black eyed man was watching her, studying her. He seemed to decide something because he gave her a tentative smile, which she returned.

"Oh Rachel!" The smaller man flung himself at her. He hugged her very tightly and he was crying against her shoulder. She stared in surprise at the other three men and carefully patted the blue eyed man on the back. He pulled back and looked at her.

"You are beautiful," he whispered fiercely at her. Her eyebrows rose in surprise and then she remembered their phone conversation.

"You are Kurt, then?" She asked carefully. He nodded and swiped at his eyes.

"Yes. This is my boyfriend, Blaine Anderson. And these are your boys, Puck and Finn." Kurt used that phrasing deliberately to see if it would spark any kind of recognition in her. She frowned and chewed on her lower lip.

"My boys?" She said hesitantly. She rolled that around in her head for a moment or two. It felt familiar. It felt right. Okay then, these were her boys. She looked at them curiously. They were both incredibly handsome men. The one was very, very tall. He had short, light brown hair that had that mussed-up look. His warm brown eyes seemed to be pinning her where she was, so that she could not move. The other man was slightly shorter and swarthier, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. He was watching her intently. She wasn't sure, but she felt like the both of them were holding themselves back fiercely, with an ironclad control. Were they afraid of scaring her? That was so sweet that she could not help the sudden curve of her lips. Both men seemed to lose their rigid control at that point and they swarmed her. The slightly shorter man gathered her up in his arms and started muttering against her neck. The strange thing for her was that she understood everything he said, even though it wasn't English and it wasn't Spanish. He was saying how much he loved and missed her—how she was his heart, his soul, his life. The taller man put his arms around the both of them and he breathed just one word against her ear. She pulled back in surprise and frowned at him.

"Beshert? Both of you?" She was confused. The slightly shorter man looked excited.

"You can understand me?" He asked in Hebrew. She nodded with a slight frown.

"Well, she does remember some things," the taller man said in Hebrew with a sigh.

"I'm Noah Puckerman, but everyone usually calls me Puck," the shorter man said quietly in English this time. He watched her carefully to see if she reacted at all. She nodded seriously.

"I'm Finn Hudson," the taller of the two added. They both kept watching her. It started to make her nervous. She looked toward Kurt with anxious eyes and he frowned in thought.

"Hey, Finn, what about the photo albums? You guys thought that those would be helpful, right?" Kurt suggested gently.

"Oh, right!" Finn said and hurried out to their car to get one of the boxes. He came back in carrying a large box and he set it down near Rachel. He pulled out one of the albums on top and handed it to her. She sat down on one of the benches in the courtyard and Puck and Finn sat down on either side of her. She wanted to feel nervous, but there was something calming, comforting about these two men, one seated on either side of her.

"Here, this one is from Middle School," Finn murmured in her ear as he opened the book. A shiver went down her spine at the close contact.

"See, there's Finn and you, and there's me," Puck murmured in her other ear as he traced the three figures in the picture for her.

She tilted her head and looked at the three young people in the picture. They were very young, but they looked very happy.

"We were friends?" She asked cautiously.

"We were all best friends all the way through Middle School," Puck said absently staring at the long ago picture of three young friends. They were so young, so innocent in that picture. They had no idea that their futures would become so entwined. _Beshert_ was usually translated as soulmate, but it was more properly translated as destiny or fate.

"Why am I sitting on you?" She asked Finn in confusion. Finn glanced at the photo she was pointing to and then laughed.

"I said something about Barbra Streisand not being that great of a singer, but that was before you educated me, Rach," he said with a grin. Then the grin disappeared and he shook his head. "I'm sorry, I mean…Maria."

"It's okay," she said softly and touched his arm with her fingertips. She felt an electric spark between them and her eyes widened. That spark, it felt familiar, but then there was a lot about these two men that felt familiar to her. She didn't want this tall man with the warm brown eyes…this Finn…to be sad. She wanted him to smile that lopsided grin at her again—and then he did. He smiled that goofy, lopsided grin and she felt something inside her move.

"Thanks," he said softly and his hand held her fingers in place. Then her forehead crinkled and she frowned again.

"Who is Barbra Streisand?" She asked curiously. All four men turned and stared at her in a strange mixture of surprise, shock, horror, and confusion. All four mouths dropped open, and all four men were struck dumb.

"I had no idea it would be this bad," Kurt whispered in fascination as he stared at Rachel who blinked at him innocently. "Quick, Blaine, get my bag from the car! Hurry, man, this is an emergency!"

Blaine ran out to the car and hurried back with Kurt's bag. Kurt rifled through it and pulled out his ipod with a triumphant cry. Kurt put the earbuds in Rachel's ears and scrolled through his library. He started playing music for Rachel who sat there quietly and listened. A smile started to spread across her face. She grinned up at Kurt.

"This is Barbra Streisand?" She asked, just to be sure. Kurt nodded and surreptitiously wiped away a tear. It had never occurred to him that Rachel might not know her favorite singer and personal icon. "I love this music. Her voice is incredible."

"So is yours," Puck said. Rachel cocked her head at him.

"My voice is this good?" Rachel asked in surprise. Kurt took the ipod from her and pushed several buttons. Rachel's eyes grew huge in her face. She stared at Puck and then at Finn. Finally, she turned to Kurt. "This is me?"

"Yes, honey, this is you," Kurt told her softly.

"I'm really good," Rachel said after listening for a few more minutes. Puck and Finn grinned at one another and turned those smiles toward Rachel. She smiled shyly back, but there was a slight hesitancy there that pierced both men painfully.

"Yes, honey, you are," Kurt agreed.

They stayed with her for a couple more hours and then had to return to the hotel. It was probably the hardest thing that any of them ever had to do—to leave Rachel and not take her with them. She could tell that they didn't want to leave her, but she was grateful for the space to think. Mrs. Alvarez told her to go take a bath to relax her nerves, which she did. She went to bed early that night and she dreamed strange dreams. She'd never really dreamed before, or if she did it was so tenuous that the dreams slid through her fingers like an insubstantial mist when she woke in the morning. In these dreams, Finn and Puck were there and it was obvious that they were very close. She wasn't sure if she was remembering the past. Maybe that's what these dreams were. She could see herself, a younger her, curled up on the couch with both boys wrapped around her. She saw both men wrapped around her in bed, as well. Those dreams made her blush when she woke up, but in the dream itself she wasn't embarrassed or ashamed at all. It seemed completely natural and normal. Were they memories? Rachel wasn't sure and she worried about how she should act near Puck and Finn.

The next day Rachel seemed uncertain around Kurt, Finn and Puck, which almost broke her boys' hearts. They could see that she wasn't sure about them, and she seemed cautious and careful. Blaine put a hand on Kurt's shoulder to comfort him.

"If you'll notice, baby, she's been calling all of you by your names. Not me, really, but you and Puck and Finn," Blaine murmured quietly so that Finn and Puck would not overhear. Kurt watched Rachel carefully for several moments and then he began to smile. She was starting to remember, but if he knew his girl, and he did, she was doubting her memories.

"Hey you guys, why don't you show her the junior year photo albums?" Kurt suggested sweetly. Puck and Finn frowned at him, but Finn handed Rachel a very thick photo album.

Rachel sat down gingerly on a bench in the courtyard and opened the photo album. On the inside cover there were three red hearts carefully pasted inside the book. A small picture of Rachel was in the center heart and small pictures of Finn and Puck were in the flanking hearts. In her own neat script it said "Junior Year at WMHS". She flipped through the pictures and found several that matched her strange dream where she was sitting on the couch with Finn and Puck.

"What are we doing here?" she asked curiously and tapped the picture. Puck looked over her shoulder and shrugged.

"Probably watching movies. We had a standing date for Friday afternoons. We'd watch action movies and hang out." He said after a moment.

"Oh," murmured Rachel.

She kept flipping through the book. She saw several pictures of herself with Puck or with Finn and could only assume that the other man had taken the picture. There were several where Finn leaned down to kiss her, or she was sitting in Puck's lap and he had possessive arms wrapped around her waist. Then Rachel came to the prom pictures. Both boys were posing on either side of her. They were laughing together, the three of them. Her face was turned up and both young men were looking down at her. _Love_, she thought in wonder. _We__**loved**__one__another_. A tear fell and landed on the page. She tried to carefully wipe the tear away, but for each tear she tried to wipe away, two more would fall. The album was taken out of her hands, and both men sat down one on either side and slid their arms around her. They held her as she sobbed for all the things she'd lost. After a few moments, she realized that they were crying too. She realized further, that these men had apparently lost as much as she had.

"Erm…Maria?" Kurt asked anxiously. She shook her head at him.

"No. I…I had some, um, dreams last night. I'm Rachel. I know that much, now." She said slowly, haltingly.

"Okay, Rachel," Kurt said with a relieved sigh. "Blaine got your papers expedited, and we can take you home tomorrow."

"Home?" Rachel sounded lost, like a little girl almost.

"Lima, Ohio? Your dads want to see you sweetie, and the girls are there." Kurt explained carefully.

"My…dads?" Rachel had a very confused expression.

"You have two gay dads. You were always very proud of them," Puck said with concern in his eyes.

"I was?" Rachel found that she was surprised because she wasn't surprised. She'd never really thought about or considered a mother. She had thought at odd moments about a father who might miss her. She supposed that she should have realized that that might have a deeper meaning.

"You totally were," Finn said firmly.

"You want to take me home to see my dads…and the girls? Are those my daughters?"

"Yeah," Puck said softly with a fierce expression on his face. Rachel knew that look, she didn't know how she knew it, but she knew that Puck was fighting intense emotion. Unthinkingly, she reached up and laid her hand against his cheek. Puck turned his face into her hand and kissed her palm. Rachel felt a strange electric charge run through her when his lips brushed her palm, and this, too, felt familiar somehow.

Kurt and Blaine helped Rachel say her goodbyes to Mrs. Alvarez and Madalena. They all wept and hugged one another. Puck and Finn packed the few things that Rachel owned. Sooner than Rachel thought possible, she was in an airplane and on her way home to Lima, Ohio. _Home_, she thought to herself slowly. It all still seemed a little unreal to her somehow.

*glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee*

After several hours stuck in an airport and going through customs Rachel came to another realization.

"I hate airports, don't I?" Rachel asked Kurt with a frown. Blaine overheard them and laughed. Kurt rolled his eyes and smiled at Rachel.

"With a passion. You have said on more than one occasion that you'd rather stab out your own eyes than deal with an airport."

"That seems a bit extreme," Rachel said slowly.

"Oh you never meant it, sweetie. You've just had to spend a lot of time in airports." Kurt soothed her.

"Where are Puck and Finn?" Rachel said anxiously, wringing her hands.

"We're right here, Rachel," Puck said soothingly from behind her.

"We are not going anywhere," Finn said firmly.

The combined families were trying to make this as easy as possible on Rachel, so they all agreed that she should be able to see her dads and her daughters with just Puck, Finn, and Kurt. Blaine went to go speak to the rest of the family so that they would know what was going on. When they stopped in front of Rachel's dads' house Rachel bit her lip and stared out the window.

"This is it?" she asked.

"Yeah. This is it," Finn murmured.

Puck helped Rachel out of the car, and he and Finn walked with her up to the door. Finn knocked on the door, and it flew open. There were two men standing in the doorway, and when they saw Rachel standing there they burst into tears and pulled her into their arms. These men, her dads, they felt familiar—known—to her. She inhaled the scent of their cologne and she could feel the memories crowding in. She could almost see them, but not quite. She clung to her dads, trying to inhale more of their cologne in an effort to remember.

"Daddy! Abba!"

Two little voices shrieked and there was a thundering sound that echoed through the house. Small child-shaped torpedoes flew at Puck and Finn. Each man scooped up a child and cuddled her against his chest. Tiny arms wound around each man's neck and little faces were pressed against each man's face. The little girls turned as one and stared at Rachel. Finn patted the small girl in his arms on the back.

"This is Rachel," he said quietly. Both girls looked at her with identical serious expressions. They looked at one another and looked back at Rachel.

"Mama's name Rachel," said Miri with a frown.

"Are you mama?" Sarah asked with an identical tiny frown.

"Yes," Rachel said simply. Both girls wiggled out of their father's arms and swarmed Rachel. She hugged their wriggling warm bodies to her and smelled the baby smell of them, which was reminiscent of soap and talcum. More memories pressed against some sort of invisible wall inside her. She could feel them there, but she couldn't figure out how access them. However, she knew deep in the core of herself that these girls were her daughters.

"Mama go bye-bye long time," accused Sarah with a scowl.

"I did go away for a long time," Rachel said softly with a sad smile for each girl. "But I want you to know that I didn't want to leave you. I would never, ever want to leave you. I love you both so much."

"Mama sing?" Miri asked. Both girls stared at her with large eyes. _Sing_? Rachel scrambled in her mind for a song…any song. The only song she could think of was an old Galician lullaby that Mrs. Alvarez had taught her. Unfortunately, it was in Galician, which was a Celtic-influenced dialect that Rachel didn't know so she wasn't sure what she was actually saying. Her voice was husky, and out of practice, but it was still beautiful. There was a haunting, sad air to the song.

"That was beautiful, baby," Mr. Berry said as he wiped a tear from his eye. She smiled at him.

"What does that mean, exactly," asked her other dad.

"Mrs. Alvarez said that it was a song that the mothers would sing when the daddies went out fishing." Rachel said with a sad smile.

Rachel spent several days at her fathers' home trying to adjust to the concept of family. She slept in her old bedroom. Sarah and Miri slept in the spare bedroom, which the doting grandpas had converted to a bedroom outfitted for twins. Puck and Finn stayed at their respective parents' houses. Her dads had her watch marathons of musicals. She watched the entire Barbra Streisand collection in a couple days. At odd moments, she felt like she knew the dialogue, or she knew the songs. She hummed along to several. Her dads continued with well known musicals—the complete works of Rodgers & Hammerstein, the Sound of Music, West Side Story, A Chorus Line, etc. She felt very comfortable, very at home doing these things. Playing games with her daughters, spending time with them quickly became the highlight of her day. She knew that her fathers loved her and were trying to help her however they might.

The kitchen seemed to be the favored place for her dads to hang out. They would drink coffee and read the paper and talk for hours. Rachel wandered into the kitchen after the girls were put down for a nap and sat at one of the chairs. Her dads put down their respective sections of the paper and watched her. She looked at her hands frowning and then looked up at them.

"What was I like?" she asked simply.

"Oh, sweetheart, I don't really know how to answer that. You were intelligent, beautiful, focused, driven. You always excelled in school. You were accepted to one of the top musical conservatories in the country. You've done very well for yourself on Broadway as well." Her dad said slowly. He was trying to answer her question, but he looked at his husband for help. Her other dad smiled and nodded at both of them.

"You were loyal, brave, caring, kind, and generous. Occasionally, you would get caught up in the drama or excitement of a role, and you might forget what a wonderful person you were, but you usually remembered at some point. If you had trouble then Finn or Puck would remind you." He smiled fondly at his memories of his beautiful daughter.

"Puck or Finn? When they came to see me in Mexico, Finn said beshert when he hugged Puck and me. Dads, I am very confused about both of them."

"I'm not really surprised. It probably does seem very confusing. You should know that both of those boys have always treated you well."

"What am I supposed to do when we go back to New York? Puck and Finn and Kurt and Blaine keep talking about it. Even Sarah and Miri want to go home soon. What do I do?" Rachel's large chocolate eyes beseeched them. Each dad took a hand and held it. They looked at one another and sighed.

"If I were you, sweetheart, I would stay in the spare bedroom. Let yourself remember. Let yourself feel comfortable and safe. There's nothing wrong with that. It will come to you once you relax and let it. The longer you stay here, the more Rachel comes out. I think going home would actually help you to remember."

"Do you really think so?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes, we do. Your dad and I have talked about it, and we think it might help you. However, don't push yourself to do anything you are not ready for, which is why we strongly recommend that you stay in the spare bedroom. It will give you your own space. Whether or not you let anyone into that space will be up to you."

"Okay. That…that makes sense. I think that is what will work best for me." She said finally.

A week later, they were back in New York. Kurt and Blaine had redesigned the spare room in her apartment into a cozy bedroom for Rachel. It was mostly blue and white because Kurt decided that those colors were soothing and would be best for Rachel. Puck and Finn were just happy to have Rachel back home, and back in their lives. They had been careful to not crowd her, to not make her nervous. They were polite and kind and gentle when they were around her. Still, they did not sleep very well knowing that she was just down the hall snuggled into her own bed.

The dreams still came to her and she didn't know what to do about them. Some were silly, some were sad, but all of them featured Puck and Finn in very prominent ways. She was still having the sex dreams as well. Sometimes it would be just Finn. Other times it would be just Puck. Still other times it would be both men together. Those made her cheeks turn bright pink at first, but as time went on they seemed more and more normal. Eventually, those dreams just made her miss the closeness that she had obviously had with both Finn and Puck. She awoke from one that was particularly vivid and featured both men and her body felt flushed and hot. She wriggled uncomfortably in her bed. There was no help for it, she was so turned on she couldn't sleep. Her hand slid down her belly and under the waist band of her panties. She tried to remember as much of the dream as she could, and then it shifted into other dreams, and then embarrassingly quickly her back arched and she gave a soft cry into her pillow.

The next day, Rachel could not look at either Puck or Finn without flushing. Neither man noticed how stilted she seemed because she always seemed stilted to them. They were afraid to touch her because each man knew that his hands would slide into old patterns. They didn't want to make her uncomfortable or unhappy so they kept dancing carefully around her. Rachel decided that she wanted that closeness back. That whatever it was that she saw in her dreams. Maybe if she could get that back, she would be able to remember everything else.


	16. Coming Home

_A/N: The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Oh, wait, there were no rumors. So I decided to participate in NaNoWriMo for the first time, which is why I didn't write at all in November. Then December happened. Yeah…that was a fun month…or something. My water heater broke, among other things. New water heaters? Not cheap at all, just so you know._

Days passed into weeks and the strange dreams continued. Rachel tried to sort through them in her waking hours, but there was almost too much information for her to process. She knew she wanted the life she saw in her dreams, she knew deep in the core of herself that that life was the one she was meant to be living, but she was still sleeping in the spare bedroom—in her personal space of blue and white that Kurt had created for her. Her daughters had quickly assimilated to the return of their mother. Puck and Finn explained that they had tried to keep her as a part of the girls' life. Rachel quickly realized what they meant. The girls watched the Firebird, an animated movie that she had apparently lent her voice to, at least once a day. Every time the heroine appeared on the screen the girls would squeal and bounce.

"Look mama it's you!" Miri pointed at the TV.

"I can hear that," Rachel said with a laugh.

Finn and Puck had done other little things to make sure that their daughters did not forget their mother. There was a huge portrait of Rachel holding both girls in the twins' bedroom and both girls would say good night to the picture before they went to bed. It broke Rachel's heart to see all the tiny ways that Puck and Finn had tried to hold on to her memory, to keep her from leaving them and their family, but she hid this from both men because she thought it would just hurt them more.

One Friday afternoon, Kurt and Blaine came over and took the girls for a sleepover. Kurt looked pointedly at Finn and then at Puck and shoved a movie toward Finn. Finn stared at the movie and then looked at Kurt. Puck looked surprised, and Kurt just shook his head in disgust.

"Have you gotten anywhere?" he asked.

"Well…no," Puck answered sulkily. Kurt nodded. He knew that the boys hadn't really been able to break through the careful spaces that hung between them and Rachel.

"So this always works, right? You guys sit on the couch with her and cuddle and watch movies and before you know it, she's remembered everything." Kurt said firmly. He was convinced that this plan would work because in the past, any time there had been a problem with Rachel and her boys, this kind of relaxation and close contact had worked. It had to work.

Miri and Sarah waved to their parents and kissed everybody twice and then left with Kurt and Blaine. Rachel sat down on the couch with Finn and Puck and watched the latest action movie. She sat gingerly in her seat, and she was conscious of every move that Puck or Finn made. Puck glanced at Finn over Rachel's head, and that look conveyed a wealth of information. This isn't working. Finn shrugged. What can we do? Puck's lips tightened. It was almost worse to have Rachel home, and yet, not home. She was in their house again, and they could see her and talk to her, but it still wasn't completely her. It was the little things that would strike him at the oddest moments. Or sometimes bigger things. Lying in bed every night next to Finn for the rest of his life wasn't exactly high on his list. Rachel was what made them work, the glue that held them together. He needed her and he knew Finn did too. He sighed and unconsciously slid an arm around Rachel's shoulders. Unthinkingly, she snuggled up against him and laid her cheek on his chest. Puck sat there unable to move for a moment. Finn stared at the two of them and then took Rachel's feet and put them in his lap. He absently stroked her ankle and watched the TV screen so that when Rachel looked at him, he seemed calm and natural.

Fear snaked through her stomach. Sitting here, like this, felt so natural, so right. Puck's muscled arm was wrapped around her shoulder and Finn's strong hands were wrapped around her ankles. She needed this, and that need scared her. She wanted her life back, she wanted these two men back, but she was unsure about how a person might make that happen. She was terrified of failure so she had ended up doing a delicate dance around Finn and Puck. She sighed, and both men absently comforted her. Puck's hand rubbed circles on her shoulder, and Finn's strong fingers expertly stroked her calf. The feel of both men touching her with deft, sure hands made her skin crackle with electricity and her stomach flutter. She shifted uncomfortably.

"What's wrong, shorty," Puck murmured against her hair. Rachel blushed furiously and stared at the movie. Somebody was blowing something sky-high. The special effects were spectacular. Puck pulled back and frowned at Finn.

"Rachel?" Finn asked cautiously. "Is there something wrong?"

"No," Rachel lied through her teeth. She felt like she was on fire, her skin was itching, and she wanted the both of them so badly that she couldn't stand it. She tried to surreptitiously wriggle, but nothing alleviated her discomfort. Both men frowned at her.

"Um, Rachel, you're a terrible liar. You always have been. You haven't been able to lie to Puck or me since you were twelve," Finn said slowly. Rachel's flush grew darker.

"Shorty, if there's something bothering you, you need to tell us so that we can help you," Puck said with no small amount of concern. They had worked so hard to make Rachel comfortable and happy here. He felt panic rise in him and he stomped on it ruthlessly.

"I…" Rachel began carefully, but stopped short. She stared at her hands and frowned for a moment. She took a deep breath and tried again. "How do I…?"

Finn watched her carefully. Her cheeks were still tinged with embarrassment and her hands twisted nervously in her lap. Suddenly, he understood everything she wasn't saying. He took her face in his hands gently and kissed her. His lips moved eagerly over hers and his tongue plundered her mouth tenderly. Rachel moaned into his mouth and her hand came up to fist in his hair, holding him right where he was. When Finn pulled back for air Rachel's velvet brown eyes were wide and her swollen lips were slightly parted.

"Like that," Finn muttered at her thickly. "Just like that."

Rachel grabbed Puck's face and pulled him to her. She pressed her lips frantically against his, nibbling at his lower lip. Puck eagerly kissed her back. His hands moved across her back, and her fingers dug into his shoulders. When she came up for air this time, she was panting slightly and her eyes had glazed over into a look both men knew very, very well. Puck swung Rachel up into his arms and Finn jumped up and moved ahead of them to open the door to the bedroom. Everything around her seemed hazy and indistinct; all she could focus on were the emotions raging inside her, and the feel of two sets of hands on her body. She felt loved and adored, the tender kisses pressed against her too-hot skin, the urgent caresses made her heart swell with love for both men. Even as she rode waves of pleasure, she was struck by how right, and how perfect everything was. When the world exploded around her in orgasm, a scream was ripped from her almost involuntarily. Soft shuddering sobs racked her frame, and both men pulled back in horror.

"Baby girl, did we do something wrong?" Puck asked fearfully.

"We're sorry," Finn added. "Whatever it was, we won't ever do it again."

"I remember," she gasped out, and she pulled both men to her. They cuddled her between them and held her until she'd calmed down.

"You remember?" Puck asked cautiously.

"I remember everything. All of it." Rachel said with a sense of wonder. She lightly traced a puckered scar on Finn's upper chest. "You got this when you took a bullet for Puck."

"Idiot," Puck said fondly to Finn who rolled his eyes. Rachel looked over at Puck and reached out to touch him as well. Puck picked up her hand and kissed her palm.

"We have missed you so much," Finn murmured into her hair. Puck nodded. They both reached for her, pulling her to them so that they could show her exactly how happy they were.

The next morning, Rachel went into the bathroom to take a shower, and she stopped and stared at herself in the mirror. _There you are_. The woman in the mirror smiled back with joy and love suffusing her face. It was her, that elusive piece that had been missing before. It was so strange to her, so odd, that what had been missing had been Puck and Finn. Not just their presence. No, she had lived here with them for weeks with the careful politeness of near strangers separating them. There was something about both men that helped her bring out a part of her that only they could touch. It was the closeness of them, the intimacy between them that she had missed. She took her shower, and in the shower she began to sing scales. It seemed natural to do so, and it never occurred to her that all the other mornings of the past few weeks she had not sung scales.

Finn woke in an instant and he lay there for a moment trying to figure out what woke him. Then he heard Rachel singing in the shower, and he grinned to himself; she used to sing in the shower all the time, but he hadn't heard her in over two years. Puck jerked awake, and sat up next to him. Puck's expressive eyes widened with shock and then turned toward Finn. Is that what I think that is? His eyes asked. Finn grinned at him. Yup. That is exactly what it is. Both men smiled slightly goofy grins at one another.

When Blaine and Kurt returned the twins that afternoon, both Puck and Finn were both relieved to note that the return of the girls did not change Rachel in any way. There was a moment when she looked like she might tear up, as the full gravity of the years she had lost hit her square in the legs and tried to hug her knees.

"Mama!" The twins squealed in unison. Rachel laughed and knelt down so that she could fiercely hug each girl. Then she stood and looked at Kurt. Her eyes pooled with tears and she threw herself at his slender frame. She hugged him so tightly that he squeaked.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear. "Thank you for never giving up on me."

"Welcome back, honey," he whispered back because he didn't trust his voice at that moment.

"Hey! I get hugs, too, right?" Blaine demanded. "I missed you, too, you know!"

Rachel laughed and hugged Blaine tightly.

Rachel was finally home. She had been living at her apartment for weeks, but she hadn't come home until then. Finn and Puck moved close to hug her between them, but Miri and Sarah butted in for hugs, too.

_A/N: I know this is a very short chapter from me, but I felt this might be the best way to handle the storyline. We're going to be shifting gears slightly, and I thought it would be best to do that bit by itself instead of mushing it up in here and confusing the heck out of everyone (including myself)._


End file.
